Italian depleted gas reservoir microbiome

Depleted gas reservoirs are a valuable option for Underground hydrogen Storage (UHS). However, different classes of microorganisms, which are capable of using free H2 as a reducing agent for their metabolism, inhabit deep underground formations and can potentially affect the storages. This study integrates metagenomics based on Illumina-NGS sequencing of bacterial and archaeal 16S rRNA and dsrB and mcrA functional genes, to unveil the composition and the variability of indigenous microbial populations of four Italian depleted reservoirs.