Researchers from the University of Queensland (UQ) in Australia found two new organisms that play a role in methane metabolism.

In terms of greenhouse gas consumption and emissions, these organisms are also believed to play roles, according to UQ's Australian Centre for Ecogenomics deputy head and School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences Associate Professor Gene Tyson whose team led the research.

The researchers took microorganism samples taken in the waters of a deep coal seam aquifer 600 meters below the Earth's surface in Surat Basin, Queensland. The scientists created microorganism genomes to mimic methane metabolism. 

Textbooks tell us that methane metabolism is secluded in single group of microorganisms, the Euryarchaeota. Tyson's team wanted to find out if there are other microorganisms capable of metabolizing methane.

The researchers discovered two new microorganisms that belong in a cluster of microorganisms called the Bathyarchaeota. These new organisms are also capable of methane metabolism. The evolutionary microorganism cluster can be found in many environments, including freshwater and deep-ocean deposits.

While their role in greenhouse gas emissions and consumption remain unknown to date, textbooks may have to be updated following the discovery of these new methane organisms.

"The significance of the research is that it expands our knowledge of diversity of life on Earth and suggests we are missing other organisms involved in carbon cycling and methane production," said Tyson.

Using an analogy, Tyson likened the discovery to having knowledge about brown and black bears and then discovering about a giant panda that has been existing a long time. "They have basic characteristics in common, but in other ways these are fundamentally different," he added.

Tyson's team utilized large scale DNA sequencing techniques. Using advanced computational tools developed by The Australian Centre for Ecogenomics, the team was able to build these DNA sequences into genomes. Some of these computational tools were developed only in the past two years at the Center.

The study was co-authored by UQ's Associate Professor Gene Tyson, Professor Sue Golding, Dr. Steven Robins, Dr. Donovan Parks and Dr. Paul Evans along with California Institute of Technology's Professor Victoria Oprhan and Grayson Chadwick.

The researchers published their study in the journal Science on Oct. 23. 

Photo : Les Chatfield | Flickr