Methanogenically Productive and Unproductive Coal Metagenomes. coal metagenome

Biogenic coalbed methane (CBM) has potential as a cleaner energy resource as compared to the burning of coal and oil. To carry out the biodegradation of a complex substrate like coal, a microbial community with diverse metabolic abilities is required. Microbial ecology surveys can provide valuable insight when evaluating coal basins for methanogenic potential. One area that lacks much information is how community structures differ between methanogenically productive and unproductive coal systems. Additionally, very little information is available regarding the correlation of specific organisms to methane production. This study aims to provide insight in these two areas.