Study Reveals Ancient Microbes May Hold Key to Life’s Origins
(MENAFN) A groundbreaking Australian-led study is shedding new light on the origins of life by analyzing ancient microbialite structures created by some of Earth's earliest microorganisms.
According to a statement released Monday by Monash University, in partnership with the University of Melbourne and University College London, the findings provide valuable insights into how primitive life may have flourished in extreme environments. Researchers also suggest the discoveries could pave the way for new carbon capture technologies to fight climate change.
The study revealed that microbialites—among the planet’s first known life forms—were capable of surviving without sunlight by drawing energy from chemical sources such as hydrogen, iron, ammonia, and sulfur. This metabolic flexibility enabled them to exist even in complete darkness.
"We think these ecosystems have been places where microbes came up with new ways to survive and make energy, helping shape the course of life on Earth," said Francesco Ricci, the study's first author and a postdoctoral research fellow at the Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute's Greening Lab.
Harry McClelland, the study's senior author from University College London, explained that the team is identifying broad principles governing how these microbial communities operate. Their research shows that chemical energy exchange between adjacent areas enhances both carbon fixation and the recycling of carbon dioxide, thereby increasing overall productivity.
Ricci further emphasized that some microbes within microbialites are particularly adept at consuming greenhouse gases such as methane and carbon dioxide—an ability that could be harnessed for future climate mitigation through novel carbon capture methods.
Living microbialite formations, still present in parts of Western Australia, not only offer a window into Earth’s earliest biospheres but also highlight promising avenues for sustainable carbon management. The full study appears in the ISME Journal, published by the Netherlands-based International Society for Microbial Ecology.
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