College
Buchtel College of Arts and Sciences
Date of Last Revision
2023-05-04 20:45:19
Major
Biology
Honors Course
3100 499
Number of Credits
3
Degree Name
Bachelor of Science
Date of Expected Graduation
Spring 2021
Abstract
Caves are generally formed by the erosion and/or dissolution of rock and its subsequent removal by water. Iron ore caves (IOCs) form despite being hosted by relatively insoluble and weathering-resistant rock. Due to the discovery of a microbial community behind the walls of these caves, it was hypothesized that these bacteria could be responsible for speleogenesis. Iron ore exists in an oxidized (Fe(III)) state, but reduced (Fe(II)) form is soluble. It was further reasoned that the bacteria might be able to reduce Fe(III) through direct metabolic activity, which uses iron as an electron acceptor. Here we show that cave microorganisms appear to reduce Fe(III) to a greater degree than a known iron reducer, Shewanella oneidensis MR-1. The results demonstrate that cave formation could be due to microbial activity which provides an additional model for cave formation.
Research Sponsor
Dr. John Senko
First Reader
Dr. Hazel Barton
Second Reader
Dr. Robert J. Duff
Honors Faculty Advisor
Dr. Brian Bagatto
Recommended Citation
Pham, Aaron Douglas, "Comparing Capabilities of Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 and the Microbial Community of Iron Caves to Reduce Fe(III)" (2021). Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects. 1400.
https://ideaexchange.uakron.edu/honors_research_projects/1400
Included in
Bacteriology Commons, Biogeochemistry Commons, Environmental Microbiology and Microbial Ecology Commons, Speleology Commons