Infraasioiden
Infraasioiden is a proposed clade of microorganisms described in speculative microbiology and in some metagenomic studies of energy-limited subsurface environments. The term blends a reference to subsurface or infra- environments with a suffix used in naming hypothetical microbial lineages. The concept emerged from analyses that suggested a distinct genetic cluster among ultra-reduced, small-genome organisms recovered from deep rock fractures and anoxic aquifers, separate from established bacterial and archaeal phyla.
Taxonomy and classification of Infraasioiden remains unsettled. Some researchers place Infraasioiden as a separate phylum within
Morphology and cellular features reported in genomic and imaging data describe small, often coccoid to elongated
Ecology and significance: Infraasioiden are hypothesized to inhabit anoxic, mineral-rich subsurface habitats, where they may contribute