Dissimilatory Fe(III) and Mn(IV) reduction.

Soil microorganisms as controllers of atmospheric trace gases (H2, CO, CH4, OCS, N2O, and NO).

Stable isotopes in tree rings.

Iron (Fe) has long been a recognized physiological requirement for life, yet for many microorganisms that persist in water, soils and sediments, its role extends well beyond that of a nutritional necessity. Fe(II) can function as an electron source for iron-oxidizing microorganisms under both oxic and anoxic conditions and Fe(III) can function as a terminal electron acceptor under anoxic conditions for iron-reducing microorganisms. Given that iron is the fourth most abundant element in the Earth's crust, iron redox reactions have the potential to support substantial microbial populations in soil and sedimentary environments. As such, biological iron apportionment has been described as one of the most ancient forms of microbial metabolism on Earth, and as a conceivable extraterrestrial metabolism on other iron-mineral-rich planets such as Mars. Furthermore, the metabolic versatility of the microorganisms involved in these reactions has resulted in the development of biotechnological applications to remediate contaminated environments and harvest energy.

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Microorganisms pumping iron: anaerobic microbial iron oxidation and reduction

Chapter 1: Overview of Zinc Nutrition ............................................................................................................... S99 1.1 Biological functions of zinc ............................................................................................................................. S99 1.2 Tissue zinc distribution and reserves .............................................................................................................. S99 1.3 Zinc metabolism ........................................................................................................................................... S100 1.4 Importance of zinc for human health........................................................................................................... S101 1.5 Human zinc requirements............................................................................................................................. S105 1.5.1 Adult men ............................................................................................................................................. S106 1.5.2 Adult women......................................................................................................................................... S109 1.5.3 Children ................................................................................................................................................ S110 1.5.4 Pregnancy.............................................................................................................................................. S111 1.5.5 Lactation ............................................................................................................................................... S112 1.6 Dietary sources of zinc and suggested revisions of Recommended Daily Intakes .................................... S112 1.6.1 Dietary sources of zinc and factors affecting the proportion of zinc available for absorption ........ S112 1.6.2 Revised estimates of dietary requirements and recommended intakes for zinc ............................... S114 1.7 Zinc toxicity.................................................................................................................................................... S118 1.8 Causes of zinc deficiency and groups at high risk ....................................................................................... S121 1.9 Summary ........................................................................................................................................................ S123

International Zinc Nutrition Consultative Group (IZiNCG) technical document #1. Assessment of the risk of zinc deficiency in populations and options for its control.

Mars is a mirror, 1 – understanding the pahrump hills mudstones from a perspective of earth analogs through an integrative physical-chemical analytical-experimental-modeling study

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is the only industrial-scale technology available to mitigate against the continued use of fossil fuels in terms of emissions of greenhouse gases generated from combustion. The technology involves capturing carbon dioxide as it is liberated from combustion of coal, oil, gas, and biomass, compressing the CO 2 , and burying it at least 800 m below the Earth's surface in depleted petroleum reservoirs and saline aquifers. Once in the ground, the CO 2 must stay there. Monitoring storage sites is critical and needs to occur for tens, even hundreds, of years. Most monitoring technologies require signal generation and receipt, are episodic, and are not directly responsive to the presence and quantity of CO 2 in the subsurface. We have demonstrated that muography can be applied to the monitoring of CO 2 in geostorage sites. The monitoring is passive, continuous, uses naturally occurring cosmic-ray muons and is directly responsive to the quantity of CO 2 between the detectors and the Earth's surface. Muon transport through the overburden to the storage sites was modelled and then built and tested a prototype detector that could be deployed within a borehole and in a hostile ambient environment deep below the Earth's surface. 

Muography, a Key Technology for Monitoring Carbon Geostorage

Forest water reclamation can improve tree growth and renovate municipal wastewater. Although there are indications that long-term application may exceed forest assimilation capacity, there is limited information on the long-term effects of reclaimed water application on coniferous ecosystems. The purpose of our study was to assess the impacts of prolonged reclaimed water application on forest growth responses and vegetation diversity. We examined the effects of reclaimed water at five water reuse facilities established between 1978 and 2013 in a four-decade time series. We collected tree cores and stem measurements to determine current and retrospective increments. We assessed plant diversity with vegetation surveys. The greatest diameter response observed for reclaimed water amendment compared to controls was 166.1% for western redcedar, while Douglas-fir increased up to 116.4% and ponderosa pine increased up to 100.6%. The minimum response observed was 30.3%. Current annual increments showed that the basal area and volume were significantly greater at long-established facilities for reclaimed-water-amended plots. The understory vegetation diversity declined with application time, while overstory vegetation diversity increased with application time. We conclude that reclaimed water can be a valuable resource to improve forest productivity, but continued application without stocking control may have detrimental effects on forest growth and vegetation diversity.

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Max Coleman

Papers

Mars is a mirror, 1 – understanding the pahrump hills mudstones from a perspective of earth analogs through an integrative physical-chemical analytical-experimental-modeling study

Muography, a Key Technology for Monitoring Carbon Geostorage

Tree Growth and Vegetation Diversity in Northern Idaho Forest Water Reclamation Facilities