Stable Isotope Probing for Microbial Iron Reduction in Chocolate Pots Hot Spring, Yellowstone National Park

Research at Chocolate Pots hot spring, Yellowstone National Park, reveals that microbial iron reduction is a significant process in circumneutral-pH Fe-rich geothermal environments. Using stable isotope probing and metagenomic sequencing, scientists identified active Fe(III)-reducing bacteria (FeRB), including Geobacter and Ignavibacteria, which play a key role in iron redox cycling within Fe-Si oxide deposits near the hot spring vent. The study highlights the importance of these microbes in generating geochemical and stable isotopic signatures, offering insights into potential microbial life in ancient Earth ecosystems and on Mars.

Fortney, N. W., He, S., Kulkarni, A., Friedrich, M. W., Holz, C., Boyd, E. S., & Roden, E. E. (2018). Stable Isotope Probing for Microbial Iron Reduction in Chocolate Pots Hot Spring, Yellowstone National Park. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 84(11). https://doi.org/10.1128/aem.02894-17