First Insights into the Bacterial Diversity of Mount Etna Volcanic Caves

Research reveals that the microbial communities in lava tubes of Mount Etna, a UNESCO-listed volcanic site, are dominated by bacteria from phyla such as Actinomycetota, Pseudomonadota, Acidobacteriota, Chloroflexota, and Cyanobacteria. The study identified Crossiella as a dominant genus, linked to biomineralization processes, alongside Pseudomonas, Bacillus, Chujaibacter, and Sphingomonas, which play roles in carbon, nitrogen, and ammonia cycles. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) confirmed diverse morphotypes, including rod-shaped, filamentous, and coccoidal cells with surface appendages. This first-of-its-kind investigation into Etna's lava tubes expands global knowledge of volcanic cave microbiology.

Nicolosi, G., Gonzalez-Pimentel, J. L., Piano, E., Isaia, M., & Miller, A. Z. (2023). First Insights into the Bacterial Diversity of Mount Etna Volcanic Caves. Microbial Ecology, 86(3), 1632–1645. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00248-023-02181-2