Krubera-Voronja cave Metagenome. terrestrial metagenome

Absence of light, constant low temperature, high humidity and scarcity of organic matter make underground habitats an extreme environment for living organisms. Harsh conditions and isolation lead to formation of unique microbial communities, making caves a promising yet poorly understood field for study of biodiversity. Studies of microbial communities in caves may provide insights of microbial relationships, biogeochemical processes, evolution and even how extraterrestrial life could function. But most importantly, they can lead to the discovery of novel bioactive compounds. The goal of this project is to analyze the microbial communities of Krubera-Voronja, the deepest known cave in the world, by using molecular techniques. It is our belief that the results of this project will not only reveal an unknown underground biodiversity and lead to discovery of important bioactive substances, but will also draw attention to the importance of cave conservation.

无光环境、持续低温、高湿度以及有机质匮乏，使得地下生境成为生物赖以生存的极端环境。严苛的环境条件与地理隔离造就了独特的微生物群落，也让洞穴成为极具研究潜力但仍知之甚少的生物多样性研究领域。对洞穴微生物群落的研究，可为微生物互作关系、生物地球化学过程、演化机制乃至地外生命的运作模式提供研究视角。而最为关键的是，这类研究有望发现全新的生物活性化合物。本项目旨在借助分子生物学技术，对目前已知世界最深的洞穴——克鲁贝拉-沃龙亚（Krubera-Voronja）的微生物群落展开分析。我们相信，本项目的研究成果不仅能够揭示尚未被认知的地下生物多样性，发现具有重要价值的生物活性物质，还能唤起学界与公众对洞穴保护重要性的关注。