Our understanding of Earth's rock-hosted subsurface biosphere has advanced over the past two decades through the collection and analysis of fluids and rocks from aquifers within the continental and oceanic crust. Improvements in cell extraction, cell sorting, DNA sequencing, and techniques for detecting cell distributions and activity have revealed how the combination of lithology, permeability, and fluid mixing processes controls the diversity and heterogeneous distribution of microbial communities in fractured rock systems. However, the functions of most organisms, and the rates of their activity and growth, remain largely unknown. To mechanistically understand what physiochemical and hydrological factors control the rock-hosted biosphere, future studies are needed to characterize the physiology of microorganisms adapted to mineral-associated growth under energy- and nutrient-limited conditions. Experiments should be designed to detect synergistic interactions between microorganisms, and between microorganisms and minerals, at highly variable turnover rates.▪ The heterogeneous distribution of the rock-hosted biosphere is controlled by variations in porosity, permeability, and chemical disequilibrium. ▪ Several imaging and chemical techniques can sensitively detect microbial activity within the rock-hosted biosphere. ▪ The physiology and turnover rates of the subsurface rock-hosted biosphere remain poorly known.

中文翻译：

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岩石生物圈


在过去的二十年中，通过收集和分析大陆和海洋地壳内含水层的流体和岩石，我们对地球岩石中的地下生物圈的了解取得了进展。细胞提取、细胞分选、DNA 测序以及检测细胞分布和活性技术的改进揭示了岩性、渗透性和流体混合过程的组合如何控制裂隙岩石系统中微生物群落的多样性和异质分布。然而，大多数生物体的功能及其活动和生长的速率仍然很大程度上未知。为了从机械上理解哪些物理化学和水文因素控制岩石生物圈，需要进一步的研究来表征在能量和营养有限的条件下适应矿物相关生长的微生物的生理学特征。实验的设计应能够检测微生物之间以及微生物与矿物质之间在高度可变的周转率下的协同相互作用。▪ 岩石生物圈的异质分布是由孔隙度、渗透率和化学不平衡的变化控制的。 ▪ 多种成像和化学技术可以灵敏地检测岩石生物圈内的微生物活动。 ▪ 对于地下岩石生物圈的生理学和周转率仍然知之甚少。