DIVERSITY AND EXPLORATION OF VIRUSES IN THE ENVIRONMENT

Viruses are now recognised as the most abundant biological entities on earth and sub-earth. The study is focused on the isolation and characterisation of the viruses present in the Deep South African mines. The viral study also focuses on the diversity of the viruses as they simultaneously occur in the environment with their specific hosts. The main aim is to discover the unknown viruses in extreme environments and also to study their molecular compositions, focusing on their genes and the proteins within them.

MICROBIAL DIVERSITY STUDIES OF THE NORTHAM PLATINUM MINE

South African mines provide ready access to some of the world’s deepest terrestrial extreme environments. These mines allow investigators to collect water, rock, and biofilm samples for microbial examination.

Biofilm samples were collected from the Northam platinum mine and analysed through molecular approaches. The microbial diversity was based on 16S rRNA gene clone libraries determined through phylogenetic clustering analyses using MEGA 5 software, and a comparative analysis was done using DGGE profiling. Pyrosequencing was also performed on these samples to evaluate the diversity.

LIFE IN EXTREME ENVIRONMENTS

Extensive research has been performed on life in extreme environments. Recently, we discovered a new nematode species in the deep mines.  The article – 'Nematoda from the terrestrial deep subsurface of South Africa' (published in Nature) – sheds more light on life in the form of a small worm living under extreme conditions in deep, hot mines. It was discovered 1,3 km under the surface of the earth in the Beatrix Goldmine close to Welkom, and is the first multi-cellular organism that was found so far beneath the surface of the earth.

UFS MICROBIAL DIVERSITY MONITORING

Microbes have been found in all environments on earth explored to date. They make up more than 60% of all biomass and contain more than 10 times the amount of nitrogen (N) and phosphorous (P) captured in all plant biomass on earth. It has been shown that 1 g of soil typically contains 1 million to 10 billion microbial cells representing about 4 000-10 000 species. As such, it is clear that the contribution which bacteria make to the ecosystem as a whole, are vastly underrated.

A specific group of microbes called extremophiles (lovers of extremes) are able to proliferate in environments that were once considered too extreme to sustain life. They prefer pH values equivalent to concentrated acid or bases, temperatures exceeding 70°C, pressures of 1 400 times that of the surface of the earth and near saturated salt and metal concentrations. These extremophiles are highly specialised and have established adapted microbial communities depending on the particular parameters of the environment.

The microbes involved in environmental processes (e.g. polluted environments or soil quality) can be identified and valuable information can be provided for the development, monitoring, and remediation of any site. As these microbes have adapted to a particular site (or pollutant), they are used as biomarkers for specific pollutants or as indicators of soil or water quality.