Microbial Stabilization and Kinetic Enhancement of Marine Methane Hydrates. Issue 3 (15th March 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Ghaani, Mohammad Reza; Allen, Christopher C. R.; Young, Jonathan M.; Nandi, Prithwish K.; Dandare, Shamsudeen U.; Skvortsov, Timofey; English, Niall J.
• Is Part Of: Geomicrobiology journal. Volume 37:Issue 3(2020)
• Page Start: 279
• Page End: 286
• Publication Date: 2020-03-15
• Subjects: Methane hydrates -- methylotrophy; Geomicrobiology -- Periodicals; Biogeochemistry -- Periodicals; 579
• DOI: 10.1080/01490451.2019.1695982
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0149-0451

Abstract

Abstract: In clathrate hydrates, a water host lattice encages small guest molecules in cavities. Methane hydrates are the most widespread in-situ clathrate in the permafrost and continental-shelf ocean regions, constituting a significant energy resource, and prompting recent marine-hydrate gas-production trials. Despite exciting engineering advances and a few marine-mimicking laboratory studies of methane-hydrate kinetics and stabilization, from microbial perspectives, little is known about a potential microbial origin of marine hydrates, nor their possible formation kinetics or potential stabilization by microbial sources. Here, for the first time, we show that an exported, extra-cytoplasmic porin – produced by a marine methylotrophic bacterium culture – provides the basis for kinetic enhancement and stabilization of methane hydrates under conditions simulating the seabed environment. We then identify the key protein at play, and we therefore suggest microbe-based stabilization of marine hydrates is evidently a property likely to be found in many marine bacteria. Our research opens the possibility of managing marine-hydrate deposits using microbiological strategies for environmental and societal benefit.