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

Ruth-Sophie Taubner; Patricia Pappenreiter; Jennifer Zwicker; Daniel Smrzka; Christian Pruckner; Philipp Kolar; Sebastian Bernacchi; Arne H Seifert; Wolfgang Bach; Jörn Peckmann; Christian Paulik; Maria Gertrude Firneis; Christa Schleper; Simon Karl-Maria Rasso Rittmann

doi:10.1017/S1743921319001789

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

Ruth-Sophie Taubner, Patricia Pappenreiter, Jennifer Zwicker, Daniel Smrzka, Christian Pruckner, Philipp Kolar, Sebastian Bernacchi, Arne H Seifert, Wolfgang Bach, Jörn Peckmann, Christian Paulik, Maria Gertrude Firneis, Christa Schleper, Simon Karl-Maria Rasso Rittmann (Corresponding author)

Publications: Contribution to journal › Meeting abstract/Conference paper › Peer Reviewed

Abstract

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.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	219-221
Number of pages	3
Journal	Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union
Volume	14
Issue number	S345
Early online date	13 Jan 2019
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1017/S1743921319001789
Publication status	Published - Jan 2020
Event	IAU 2018 General Assembly Symposium: IAUS 345: Origins: From the Protosun to the First Steps of Life - Wien, Austria Duration: 20 Aug 2018 → 23 Aug 2018 Conference number: 345

Austrian Fields of Science 2012

103003 Astronomy
103004 Astrophysics
106022 Microbiology

Keywords

astrobiology
methods: Laboratory
planets and satellites: Enceladus
methods: laboratory

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1017/S1743921319001789

Cite this

Taubner, R-S., Pappenreiter, P., Zwicker, J., Smrzka, D., Pruckner, C., Kolar, P., Bernacchi, S., Seifert, A. H., Bach, W., Peckmann, J., Paulik, C., Firneis, M. G., Schleper, C., & Rittmann, S. K-M. R. (2020). Simulating putative Enceladus-like conditions: The possibility of biological methane production on Saturn's icy moon. Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union, 14(S345), 219-221. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1743921319001789

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title = "Simulating putative Enceladus-like conditions: The possibility of biological methane production on Saturn's icy moon",

abstract = "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.",

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author = "Ruth-Sophie Taubner and Patricia Pappenreiter and Jennifer Zwicker and Daniel Smrzka and Christian Pruckner and Philipp Kolar and Sebastian Bernacchi and Seifert, {Arne H} and Wolfgang Bach and J{\"o}rn Peckmann and Christian Paulik and Firneis, {Maria Gertrude} and Christa Schleper and Rittmann, {Simon Karl-Maria Rasso}",

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year = "2020",

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doi = "10.1017/S1743921319001789",

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Taubner, R-S, Pappenreiter, P, Zwicker, J, Smrzka, D, Pruckner, C, Kolar, P, Bernacchi, S, Seifert, AH, Bach, W, Peckmann, J, Paulik, C, Firneis, MG, Schleper, C & Rittmann, SK-MR 2020, 'Simulating putative Enceladus-like conditions: The possibility of biological methane production on Saturn's icy moon', Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union, vol. 14, no. S345, pp. 219-221. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1743921319001789

Simulating putative Enceladus-like conditions : The possibility of biological methane production on Saturn's icy moon. / Taubner, Ruth-Sophie; Pappenreiter, Patricia; Zwicker, Jennifer et al.

In: Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union, Vol. 14, No. S345, 01.2020, p. 219-221.

Publications: Contribution to journal › Meeting abstract/Conference paper › Peer Reviewed

TY - JOUR

T1 - Simulating putative Enceladus-like conditions

T2 - IAU 2018 General Assembly Symposium

AU - Taubner, Ruth-Sophie

AU - Pappenreiter, Patricia

AU - Zwicker, Jennifer

AU - Smrzka, Daniel

AU - Pruckner, Christian

AU - Kolar, Philipp

AU - Bernacchi, Sebastian

AU - Seifert, Arne H

AU - Bach, Wolfgang

AU - Peckmann, Jörn

AU - Paulik, Christian

AU - Firneis, Maria Gertrude

AU - Schleper, Christa

AU - Rittmann, Simon Karl-Maria Rasso

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N2 - 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.

AB - 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.

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KW - methods: laboratory

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M3 - Meeting abstract/Conference paper

VL - 14

SP - 219

EP - 221

JO - Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union

JF - Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union

SN - 1743-9213

IS - S345

Y2 - 20 August 2018 through 23 August 2018

ER -

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

Abstract

Austrian Fields of Science 2012

Keywords

UN SDGs

Access to Document

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