PSU Magazine Spring 2000

thetic bacteria on land, and one of the most beautiful natural spots in North America. In a March 1998 edition of National Geographic, Reysenbach is pictured collecting samples among the pools and grazing bison. On the oppo– site page, a photo by Cady shows a microscopic image of ancient bacteria's modem relatives. The three scientists collaborate with one another-Reysenbach has a joint project with Cady, and recently had a paper accepted in Nature with Boone-so as they gather samples from across the globe, they share them with one another when they return to PSU. Reysenbach recently returned from a trip off Baja, California-similar to others she's taken throughout the Pacific Ocean-aboard Alvin, the submersible craft that was used in find– ing Titanic. From the surface, Alvin takes about 90 minutes to reach the deep-sea vents where its mechanical arms gather samples. These are areas · where continental plates are spreading apart or sliding against each other, where magma chambers come close to the surface. They have the kinds of hot water bacteria she is looking for, and the kinds of mineral deposits Cady is researching for fossil microbial biosignatures. R ocks and minerals present a ••• convenient tool for scientists to research the history of microbes. Reysenbach says one byproduct of some microbes' chemosynthetic processes is pyrite, also known as fool's gold. By looking for pyrite and other mineral "fingerprints," scientists can track the presence of bacteria perhaps billions of years old. And if they can do that here on Earth, it makes sense that they can tell whether life existed on other planets as well, simply by looking at rock samples. "If we were to go to a different planet-Mars or Europa, for exam– ple-and bring back a sample, what should we be looking for?" asks Reysenbach. NASA wants to know the answer to that question too, which is why it is helping to fund Cady's research. Over the last four years, NASA and the National Science Foundation have contributed nearly $500,000 to Cady's work. Back here on Earth, the research by Cady, Reysenbach, and Boone has some practical, present-day applications. B oone's study of bacterial life ••• on the cold ocean floor has captured the interest of the U.S. Department of Energy. The creatures he is most interested in– methanogens-are responsible for creating a substance called methane hydrates, a crystalline compound simi– lar to ice but containing molecules of methane. In the last decade, scientists discovered that these hydrates lay several meters thick along extensive reaches of the ocean floor. "Estimates vary, but we're hearing that there is more energy tied up in methane hydrates than in all known petroleum sources. So it's potentially a huge energy source," says Boone. How to harvest them from hundreds of feet below the surface of the ocean, and once they are harvested how quickly will they regen– erate, are pieces of a puzzle that need to be worked out. "Energy companies, which lease areas of the ocean floor to harvest, want to come back as soon as possible, not in hundreds of years, like in an old-growth forest," Boone says. Cady is also working with energy, but in a different way. Geothermal companies in New Zealand have tapped into that coun– try's hot springs for energy use, but they are having a problem with the accumulation of minerals on the insides of their equipment. Cady is working with the University of Auckland to see what role microbes might have in forming these minerals and eventually in eliminating them. Reysenbach sees a clear link between the basic research she does– finding previously unknown kinds of microbes, sampling their DNA, and entering them into the scientific record-and producing products that benefit humanity. "It eventually all equates to dollars," she says. PHOTO BY ANNA-LOUISE REYSENBACH The wand extending from Alvin allows scientists to collect samples from deep- sea chimney vents. She is regularly approached by companies looking for new anti-cancer drugs, new enzymes, or anything else that can be harvested from the diverse branch of life she studies. Reysenbach has no problem with the profit-making potential of microbes. In fact, she says it bolsters her position as a staunch conserva– tionist. By demonstrating the kinds of wealth that can come out of the natural environment, she hopes to show the world the importance of preserving it. A case in point, say Reysenbach, Ill•• is Costa Rica, which has experi– enced a major turnaround in its conservation efforts by working with pharmaceutical companies that were interested in preserving the rain forests as sources of wealth. "So, wealth lies not in cutting down the rain forests, but preserving them," she says. And by preserving the rain forests and other ecosystems, we preserve the microbes that live there-a far greater key to our survival than most people know. D (John Kirkland, a Portland freelance writer, wrote the articles "Up for the Count" and "To Infinity and Beyond," which appeared in the winter 2000 PSU Magazine.) SPRING 2000 PSU MAGAZINE 9