Encyclopedia of Metagenomics

Living Edition
| Editors: Karen E. Nelson

Caves Biofilm Metagenomics

  • Natuschka LeeEmail author
  • Wolfang Liebl
  • Annette S. Engel
  • Megan Porter
Living reference work entry
First Online:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6418-1_718-2
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Synonyms

Biofilm: microbial mat; Laminated microbial ecosystem; Microbially induced sediment structure; Stromatolite (living, modern, fossilized)

Definition

Cave biofilms are biofilms or microbial mats that flourish in natural or anthropogenic cave settings. A biofilm is a three-dimensional assemblage of microbial communities that are embedded within a self-produced matrix of extracellular polymeric substances adhered to a surface. Depending on the geochemical and geological setting of a cave, biofilms comprised of variable microbial community compositions and metabolic processes can profoundly impact the speleogenetic history of a cave and the overall ecology of the cave setting.

Introduction

Caves are natural, solutionally or collapse-enlarged openings that form in rock, including but not limited to limestone, granite, lava, salt, or even ice. Caves are widely distributed geographically and can offer portals into different types of extreme, “dark life” habitats, such as the...

Keywords

Cave System Marburg Virus Cave Entrance Organic Matter Transformation Cave Environment 
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
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Copyright information

© Springer Science+Business Media New York 2014

Authors and Affiliations

  • Natuschka Lee
    • 1
    Email author
  • Wolfang Liebl
    • 2
  • Annette S. Engel
    • 3
  • Megan Porter
    • 4
  1. 1.Lab Microbial Systems Ecology/Department of MicrobiologyTechnische Universität MünchenFreising/MunichGermany
  2. 2.Department of MicrobiologyTechnische Universität MünchenFreising/MunichGermany
  3. 3.Department of Earth and Planetary SciencesUniversity of TennesseeKnoxvilleUSA
  4. 4.Department of BiologyUniversity of South DakotaVermillionUSA