Through laboratory culture of microbial communities isolated from hydraulically fractured shales, researchers determined that coupled oxidation and reduction of amino acids is a key metabolic pathway that enables such microbes to maintain osmotic balance, produce energy, and obtain carbon and nitrogen for biosynthesis; based on field observations, the authors further report that microbial metabolism significantly influences the concentrations of compounds in shale-derived fluids.
Article #18-00155: "Coupled laboratory and field investigations resolve microbial interactions that underpin persistence in hydraulically fractured shales," by Mikayla A. Borton et al.
MEDIA CONTACT: Kelly C. Wrighton, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH; tel: 510-409-6723; e-mail: < kwrighton@gmail.com >
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Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences