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Simulating putative Enceladus-like conditions: The possibility of biological methane production on Saturn’s icy moon

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 January 2020

Ruth-Sophie Taubner Open the ORCID record for Ruth-Sophie Taubner [Opens in a new window] ,
Patricia Pappenreiter ,
Jennifer Zwicker ,
Daniel Smrzka ,
Christian Pruckner ,
Philipp Kolar ,
Sébastien Bernacchi ,
Arne H. Seifert ,
Alexander Krajete  and
Wolfgang Bach
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Ruth-Sophie Taubner
Affiliation:
Archaea Biology and Ecogenomics Division, Department of Ecogenomics and Systems Biology, University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria email: ruth-sophie.taubner@univie.ac.at Institute of Astrophysics, University of Vienna, 1180 Vienna, Austria
Patricia Pappenreiter
Affiliation:
Institute for Chemical Technology of Organic Materials, Johannes Kepler University Linz, 4040 Linz, Austria
Jennifer Zwicker
Affiliation:
Department of Geodynamics and Sedimentology, Center for Earth Sciences, University ofVienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
Daniel Smrzka
Affiliation:
Department of Geodynamics and Sedimentology, Center for Earth Sciences, University ofVienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
Christian Pruckner
Affiliation:
Archaea Biology and Ecogenomics Division, Department of Ecogenomics and Systems Biology, University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria email: ruth-sophie.taubner@univie.ac.at
Philipp Kolar
Affiliation:
Archaea Biology and Ecogenomics Division, Department of Ecogenomics and Systems Biology, University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria email: ruth-sophie.taubner@univie.ac.at
Sébastien Bernacchi
Affiliation:
Krajete GmbH, 4020 Linz, Austria
Arne H. Seifert
Affiliation:
Krajete GmbH, 4020 Linz, Austria
Alexander Krajete
Affiliation:
Krajete GmbH, 4020 Linz, Austria
Wolfgang Bach
Affiliation:
Geoscience Department, University of Bremen, 28359 Bremen, Germany
Jörn Peckmann
Affiliation:
Department of Geodynamics and Sedimentology, Center for Earth Sciences, University ofVienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria Institute for Geology, Center for Earth System Research and Sustainability, University ofHamburg, 20146 Hamburg, Germany
Christian Paulik
Affiliation:
Institute for Chemical Technology of Organic Materials, Johannes Kepler University Linz, 4040 Linz, Austria
Maria G. Firneis
Affiliation:
Institute of Astrophysics, University of Vienna, 1180 Vienna, Austria
Christa Schleper
Affiliation:
Archaea Biology and Ecogenomics Division, Department of Ecogenomics and Systems Biology, University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria email: ruth-sophie.taubner@univie.ac.at
Simon K.-M. R. Rittmann
Affiliation:
Archaea Biology and Ecogenomics Division, Department of Ecogenomics and Systems Biology, University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria email: ruth-sophie.taubner@univie.ac.at
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Abstract

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In this study (Taubner et al.2018), three different methanogenic archaea (Methanothermococcus okinawensis, Methanothermobacter marburgensis, and Methanococcus villosus) were tested for metabolic activities and growth under putative Enceladus-like conditions, including high pressure experiments and tests on the tolerance towards potential gaseous and liquid inhibitors detected in Enceladus’ plume. In particular, M. okinawensis, an isolate from a deep marine trench (Takai et al.2002), showed tolerance towards all of the added inhibitors and maintained methanogenesis even in the range of 10 to 50 bar. Further, we were able to show that H2 production based on serpentinization may be sufficient to fuel such methanogenic life on Enceladus. The experiments revealed that methanogenesis could, in principle, be feasible under Enceladus-like conditions.

Keywords

astrobiologyplanets and satellites: Enceladusmethods: laboratory
Type
Contributed Papers
Information
Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union , Volume 14 , Symposium S345: Origins: From the Protosun to the First Steps of Life , August 2018 , pp. 219 - 221
Copyright
© International Astronomical Union 2020 

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