Monday, October 5 at 7:00pm | $5 suggested donation at door |
OMSI Science Pub presents:
Deep Sea Hotsprings
With Anna-Louise Reysenbach, PhD, Professor of Microbiology in the
Biology Department at PSU
Most of the biodiversity of life on Earth is microbial. These
microscopic organisms occupy almost any conceivable habitat where
there is available water, energy and carbon for growth. They live in
some of the most salty, cold, hot, nutrient-starved, dry and acidic
places on this planet, and they form critical partnerships with many
other organisms, including us. At deep-sea vents, microorganisms form
the base of the food web, fueling the chemosynthetic-based ecosystem.
Here, as the very hot hydrothermal fluids mix with the cold seawater,
minerals precipitate out a solution to form mineral deposits called
‘chimneys’. These porous rocks provide habitats for a plethora of new
heat-loving microbes, thermophiles.
Using a combination of genomic, ecological and microbiological
approaches, Dr Reysenbach will provide insights into how the geology
and geochemistry at the deep-sea vents helps drive the diversity of
microbes in these systems, and has led to the discovery of many novel
branches on the Tree of Life. Many of these organisms have potential
medical and industrial applications, and help inform us better when
looking for signs of life elsewhere in the Solar System.
Dr. Reysenbach is a microbial ecologist whose research focuses on life
in high temperature environments. Her work has taken her to many of
the terrestrial and deep-sea hot springs around the world. She has led
deep-sea research expeditions using the submersible, Alvin or remotely
operated vehicle, Jason to work on the microbes that inhabit the high
temperature deep-sea vents. She is internationally known for her
research using a combination of genomic and microbial culturing
approaches to explore the diversity of microbes in these extreme
environments. She has published her research in journals such as
Nature and Science, and has participated in several documentaries for
BBC, NOVA, OPB among others. She has served on NASA’s Planetary
Science Subcommittee and the National Research Council, and serves as
an editor for several scientific journals. Her research has been
funded by NSF and NASA. Dr. Reysenbach has a Ph.D. from University of
Cape Town, South Africa and is Professor of Microbiology in the
Biology Department at Portland State University.