DeepSeaQuence – Uncovering the metabolic secrets and capacity of Arctic deep-sea hydrothermal vent microbiomes

The impact of biodiscoveries from deep sea hydrothermal vents are undisputed. Enzymes from deep-sea hydrothermal vents are commonly used in diagnostic testing, and several enzymes from Arctic deep-sea hydrothermal sites have been characterized as promising towards application. DeepSeaQuence provide important base-line ecosystem knowledge of a habitat, where bioprospecting activities may lead to the discovery of new biomolecules of immense economical value. Uncovering the range of biodiversity, discovery of new microbial lineages and identifying microbial processes surrounding deep sea hydrothermal systems is an essential first step in the transfer to human applications. The project has thus far, led and published an award-winning peer-reviewed article of enigmatic archaeal anaerobic methane (ANME) oxidizers from deep-sea hydrothermal sites at the Arctic mid-Ocean Ridges, in addition to several articles in well-renowned journals. In collaboration with the UIT coordinated AKMA project, DeepSeaQuence was involved in the interdisciplinary investigation of a natural oil seep site offshore western Svalbard. An important milestone in the project is the identification of a large amount of potential novel antimicrobial peptides from these habitats. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a critical global health issue, and the discovery of such peptides is the first step in a biodiscovery pipeline for new treatments beyond traditional antibiotics. Altogether, the knowledgebase provided by DeepSeaQuence will impact our understanding of the distribution, diversity, metabolic repertoire, and interactions of the vastly uncultivated, and thus far largely unknown, microbial biosphere in deep-sea hydrothermal systems.

The impact of biodiscoveries from deep sea hydrothermal vents are undisputed. Enzymes from deep-sea hydrothermal vents are commonly used in diagnostic testing of infections, such as Covid-19. However, discovery of new microbial lineages and identifying microbial processes surrounding deep sea hydrothermal systems is an essential first step in the transfer to human applications. Estimates based on DNA surveys suggest that uncultivated microorganisms make up as much as 81% of all microbial cells on Earth, inferring some kind of function which we have just started to understand based on their genetic potential. Intriguingly, uncultured microorganisms are numerically dominant in all major environments on Earth including the fascinating and inaccessible deep-sea hydrothermal systems. DeepSeaQuence aims at revealing the genetic and functional diversity of the vast unknown microbial diversity in deep-sea hydrothermal vents by studying vent fields along the Arctic Mid-Ocean ridge. DeepSeaQuence thus focuses on one of the least explored marine realms. DeepSeaQuence aims to provide important base-line ecosystem knowledge of a habitat, that is an important Norwegian reservoir of mineral resources and as a site where bioprospecting activities may lead to the discovery of new biomolecules of immense economical value. DeepSeaQuence will go beyond the exploratory and seek out added values and possibilities to address central global challenges within focus on natural resources and the marine environment. DeepSeaQuence is interdisciplinary, spanning microbial ecology, geobiochemistry, microbial interactions, bioinformatics, supported by advanced Norwegian marine technology. Altogether, the knowledgebase provided by DeepSeaQuence will impact our understanding of the distribution, diversity, metabolic repertoire, and interactions of the vastly uncultivated, and thus far largely unknown, microbial biosphere in deep-sea hydrothermal systems.