Principal Investigator Shuhei Ono
Microbial dissimilatory sulfate reduction (mSR) produces sulfides that are depleted in heavy sulfur isotopes with respect to the initial sulfate. The isotopic differences between sedimentary sulfides and sulfates are widely used to constrain the biogeochemical cycles of carbon and sulfur in modern and ancient sediments. However, it remains debated whether this isotopic difference, particularly when larger than ~ 46 ‰, can be attributed solely to mSR or requires additional oxidative recycling of sulfur.
We are carrying out a series of experiments to test hypothesis about the link among physiology and isotope effects, by relating carbon metabolisms, energy budget and isotope fractionation factors under various growth conditions.