geomikrobiologii

Geomicrobiology, sometimes transliterated as geomikrobiologii in Russian, is the interdisciplinary study of how microorganisms interact with geological materials and processes. It explores how microbes obtain energy and nutrients in rocks and sediments, and how microbial life influences mineral weathering, biomineralization, and the cycling of elements such as carbon, nitrogen, sulfur, and iron.

Microbes drive transformations that alter mineralogy and chemistry, including biomineralization and bioerosion, and they play key roles in groundwater composition and redox processes. They inhabit a wide range of environments, from ancient sediments and deep subsurface environments to hydrothermal vents, caves, deserts, and permafrost, often forming biofilms on mineral surfaces and within pore spaces.

Geomicrobiology sheds light on the early Earth and the potential for life on other planets, particularly the existence of subsurface biospheres and life in extreme conditions. It informs applied fields such as bioremediation, bioleaching and mineral processing in mining, corrosion science, and the broader study of climate-relevant biogeochemical cycles.

Methods used in geomicrobiology include molecular biology and metagenomics to characterize microbial communities, geochemical analyses and isotope tracing to quantify processes, microscopy to visualize mineral-microbe interactions, and in situ sensors and laboratory enrichment cultures. Field and laboratory studies combine geological context with microbiological data to interpret how organisms shape minerals and geochemical landscapes.