<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<p>Speleothems found in caves worldwide are considered the natural libraries of paleontology. Bacteria found in these ecosystems are generally limited to Proteobacteria and Actinomycetota, but rare microbiome and “Dark Matter” is generally under-investigated and often neglected. This research article discusses, for the first time to our knowledge, the diachronic diversity of Actinomycetota entrapped inside a cave stalactite. The planet’s environmental microbial community profile of different eras can be stored in these refugia (speleothems). These speleothems could be an environmental “Microbial Ark” storing rare microbiome and “Dark Matter” bacterial communities evermore.</p>
</abstract>

Speleothems found in caves worldwide are considered the natural libraries of paleontology. Bacteria found in these ecosystems are generally limited to Proteobacteria and Actinomycetota, but rare microbiome and “Dark Matter” is generally under-investigated and often neglected. This research article discusses, for the first time to our knowledge, the diachronic diversity of Actinomycetota entrapped inside a cave stalactite. The planet’s environmental microbial community profile of different eras can be stored in these refugia (speleothems). These speleothems could be an environmental “Microbial Ark” storing rare microbiome and “Dark Matter” bacterial communities evermore.

Stalactites Core Prospect as Environmental “Microbial Ark”: The Actinomycetota Diversity Paradigm, First Reported from a Greek Cave

Polish Journal of Microbiology

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Speleothems found in caves worldwide are considered the natural libraries of paleontology. Bacteria found in these ecosystems are generally limited to...

Stalactites Core Prospect as Environmental “Microbial Ark”: The Actinomycetota Diversity Paradigm, First Reported from a Greek Cave

Article Category: ORIGINAL PAPER

Published Online: Jun 14, 2023

Page range: 155 - 168

Received: Dec 30, 2022

Accepted: Mar 15, 2023

DOI: https://doi.org/10.33073/pjm-2023-016

Keywords
Actinobacteria, biogeography, rare microbiome, Microbial Dark Matter, refugium model, extreme environment, paleomicrobiology

© 2023 Ioannis Vagelas et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Stalactites Core Prospect as Environmental “Microbial Ark”: The Actinomycetota Diversity Paradigm, First Reported from a Greek Cave

Article Category: ORIGINAL PAPER

Published Online: Jun 14, 2023

Page range: 155 - 168

Received: Dec 30, 2022

Accepted: Mar 15, 2023

DOI: https://doi.org/10.33073/pjm-2023-016

KeywordsActinobacteria, biogeography, rare microbiome, Microbial Dark Matter, refugium model, extreme environment, paleomicrobiology

© 2023 Ioannis Vagelas et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Keywords
Actinobacteria, biogeography, rare microbiome, Microbial Dark Matter, refugium model, extreme environment, paleomicrobiology