Elba methane SIP

Here, we explored the microbial community in the oxic sediment at a methane seep near the isle of Elba, Italy, and their potential for methane oxidation. The aims of our study were (I) to determine the activity of aerobic methanotrophs and estimate their efficiency in the removal of methane, (II) to identify the key players of methane oxidation active in the oxic sediments, and (III) to follow the flux of methane-derived carbon through the microbial community, assessing the role of methanotrophs as key suppliers of organic carbon at the seep. We combined a 13C-methane stable isotope probing approach with metagenomics, to obtain metagenome-assembled genomes of the microorganisms present, as well as metaproteomics, to verify their predicted metabolic functions and assess their activity .