Goldschmidt 2012 - Omics and Geomicrobiology Session

The Goldschmidt 2012 meeting abstract deadline is rapidly approaching (Feb 1), and I'm organizing a geomicrobiology session with Jennifer Bowen (U Mass Boston). The conferences will be held in Montreal (!!) this year, from June 24-29.

Any questions? Don't hesitate to contact me!

Goldschmidt 2012 session 16b: "Omics and geomicrobiology: examining microbe-mineral interactions using cutting-edge microbiological methods"

Geomicrobiologists contend with unusual challenges in assessing microbial communities and their activity in sediment, soil and on rock substrates. These often include complex matrices, high metal concentrations, and low biomass. Microbial communities are frequently stratified over minute spatial scales; molecular microbiological methods such as next-gen sequencing techniques and single cell genomics are powerful tools we can use to tease out geomicrobiological relationships in these environments. In this session, we aim to bring together researchers that use “omics” and other cutting edge microbiological methods in their studies of microbial communities and microbially-mediated elemental and mineral transformations. Submissions using multidisciplinary approaches incorporating one or more of these methods in field or applied studies are particularly welcome, for example studies of radionuclide and toxic metal remediation, environmental analogues of early earth, carbon sequestration, bioleaching, and elemental transformations in soils, sediments, or on mineral surfaces.

Our featured presenters are:

Peter Girguis(Harvard) “Hot-wired: the role of extracellular electron transfer in sustaining primary production by hydrothermal vent microbes”
Karen Lloyd (University of Tennesse-Knoxville)
Jenn Macalady(Pennsylvania State University)

The abstract deadline is 1 Feb 2012. Further information on abstract content and formatting, and an on-line submissions link can be found on the Goldschmidt website at http://www.vmgoldschmidt.org/2012/abstracts.htm.

Hope to see you there!