Effects of uranium concentration on microbial community structure and functional potential

Significant shifts in microbial community structure and functional potential occur at uranium concentrations of 1500 mg/kg or higher, potentially altering ecosystem processes and resilience. This is the first study to deploy uranium-spiked sediments in situ along a gradient (0–4000 mg U kg⁻¹), combining field surveys with laboratory manipulative approaches. Using amplicon and shotgun metagenomic sequencing, researchers identified breakpoints where genes linked to methanogenic consortia and nitrogen cycling pathways increased in abundance, suggesting profound impacts on carbon and nitrogen biogeochemical cycles.

Sutcliffe, B., Chariton, A. A., Harford, A. J., Hose, G. C., Greenfield, P., Elbourne, L. D. H., Oytam, Y., Stephenson, S., Midgley, D. J., & Paulsen, I. T. (2017). Effects of uranium concentration on microbial community structure and functional potential. Environmental Microbiology, 19(8), 3323–3341. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1111/1462-2920.13839