EVALUATION OF THE METHODOLOGY IN MOLECULAR GEOMICROBIOLOGY

Microbes are extensively involved in geological processes occurring within a variety of ecosystems such as marine and oceans, lakes, soils, glaciers, caves, etc. Specific summaries of the microbial studies in individual ecosystems have been partly, if not wholly, presented in literatures. However, This paper overviews some advances in the studies of the biochemical components in molecular geomicrobiology, including nucleic acids (16S rRNA and DNA) and lipids (PLFA and hopanols). Summary is made on the lipid characteristics of specific geomicrobes. Typically, diplopterol, 2-methylhopanes and aryl isoprenoids (2-alkyl-1,3,4-trimethylbenzene) are respectively reviewed in the exploitation as the biomarkers of methanotrophs, cyanobacteria and green sulfur bacteria through the geological time. It is proposed that new techniques such as the integration of stable with radioactive isotopes of compound-specific will enhance the further development of molecular geomicrobiology in the future.