Making methane in search of phosphate

Accumulations of methane in groundwater are like oases in an energy-starved desert. Bacteria flourish in such environments. Now, Markets Lab investigators together with Alberta-Environment-and-Protected-Areas collaborators have found that in these hotspots of subsurface life, phosphate can be growth-limiting. In response, the resident bacteria were shown to switch to using phosphonates. Phosphonates are breakdown products of dead cells and, interestingly, pesticides. Given that the groundwaters in the study were over ten thousand years old on verage, contamination with pesticides is quite unlikely. Interestingly, while extracting phosphate from phosphonates these bacteria produce more methane.

Li S, Dong X, Humez P, Borecki H, Birks J, McClain C, Mayer B, Strous M, Diao M (2025) Aerobic methane production by methylotrophic Methylotenera in groundwater.