A previously unknown community of 19 microorganisms
discovered in the tunnel of the Baksan Neutrino Observatory

During the analysis of samples collected from an unused part of the tunnel of the Baksan Neutrino Observatory of the Institute for Nuclear Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences (BNO INR RAS), biologists from the Sector of Molecular Genetics of the Cell of DLNP discovered a previously unknown community of microorganisms, among which there are new genera of bacteria.

19 genomes of microorganisms reconstructed from metagenomic data of the deep microbial community from the hydrothermal vent of the underground tunnel of the BNO INR RAS were published in the journal Microbiology Resource Announcements. Most of the microbial community belongs to the types Pseudomonadota (classes Gamma-, Beta-, Alphaproteobacteria), Planctomycetota, Myxococcota, Nitrospirota, Cyanobacteria, Gemmatimonadota and Armatimonadota. All 19 microbial genomes have been officially registered in the open database of genetic sequences GenBank of the National Institutes of Health of the USA (NIH USA) and are available for free use by other scientists.

This investigation allows us to expand our knowledge of deep underground microbial communities and facilitates the identification of functional genes with possible biotechnological applications.

Supported by the Russian Science Foundation

Authors of the publication K.A.Tarasov, E.V.Kravchenko, M.P.Zarubin, A.S.Yakhnenko

Article prepared as reported by the Scientific Communications Group of the Laboratory of Nuclear Problems