Thaumarchaeota archaeon SCGC AB-539-E09 Genome sequencing. Thaumarchaeota archaeon SCGC AB-539-E09

Archaea are single-celled microorganisms that are widespread in oceanic sediments. The Miscellaneous Crenarchaeotal Group (MCG) often comprise the bulk of archaea in anoxic marine environments. These organisms have never been grown in pure laboratory culture, so their potential impact on global elemental cycles is unknown. It is likely that anaerobic digestion of detrital proteins is a strategy for life in cold, energy-limited environments, and archaea directly contribute to the extracellular remineralization of proteins in marine sediments.