Nanoscale multitechnical synchrotron characterization applied to the problem of biogenicity of minerals

• Grant number: 21/05083-8
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: September 01, 2021
• End date: February 29, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Geosciences
• Principal Investigator: Douglas Galante
• Grantee: Douglas Galante
• Host Institution: Instituto de Geociências (IGC). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Alessandra Mendes Carvalho Vasconcelos ; Amanda Gonçalves Bendia ; Anelize Manuela Bahniuk Rumbelsperger ; Cleber Pereira Calça ; Evelyn Aparecida Mecenero Sanchez Bizan ; Fabio Rodrigues ; Flávia Callefo ; Francielli Vilela Peres ; Fresia Soledad Ricardi Torres Branco ; Gabriel Gonçalves Silva ; Itamar Tomio Neckel ; Lara Maldanis Cerqueira Peres ; Loïc Bertrand ; Lucas Carvalho Veloso Rodrigues ; Mírian Liza Alves Forancelli Pacheco ; Nora Katharina Noffke ; Stefano Albino Zincone ; Verônica de Carvalho Teixeira
• Associated research grant(s): 22/10829-1 - The 6th International Palaeontological Congress (IPC6), AR.EXT

Abstract

Defining whether a particular structure in the geological or mineral record is of biological origin or not is an intrinsically multi-scale and multidisciplinary problem, and one of the most challenging in modern science. For the study of the history of our planet, especially in the deepest times, in the Precambrian, minerals are the basis for the characterization of the traces of microbial life. In addition, microbial-mineral interaction processes are important for application in numerous sectors of our modern society. All fossils are formed through biogeochemical processes, with direct or indirect biological participation, through the precipitation of biominerals. That is, from ions in solution, crystalline structures are built capable of preserving, depending on the case, the morphology or the chemical/atomic composition in a different way, which may indicate the past presence of microorganisms of hundreds of millions or even billions of people. years ago. The study of the crystalline structures of biominerals can be done from macro to nanoscale, and it is necessary to employ advanced techniques capable of revealing details of their ultrastructure. Making use of the knowledge that it is possible to distinguish a biomineral from its inorganic analog (the one formed without biological participation), this project aims to explore in an unprecedented way the micro and nanoscale X-ray techniques of the Carnaúba beamline of Sirius, for the study the biogenicity of minerals. For this, minerals will be synthesized in the laboratory by biotic and abiotic routes to be explored by the techniques of absorption, fluorescence, diffraction, luminescence and 2D and 3D imaging that are in the final stage of commissioning on the beamline. The benefits to be generated with the experiments are the increased understanding of biological mineral production pathways, important for basic science, such as in the search for traces of life on Mars, and applied, in the areas of biomineration, biotechnology and green chemistry. In addition, the project will contribute to establishing Sirius' Carnaúba beamline as a reference for studies in the diverse areas that encompass this knowledge, which include Paleontology, Geosciences and Astrobiology, in addition to biomineration and other areas related to mineral exploration, such as oil in the carbonates of the Brazilian Pre-Salt. (AU)

Scientific publications

(6)

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

OSES, GABRIEL LADEIRA; WOOD, RACHEL; ROMERO, GUILHERME RAFFAELI; EVANGELISTA MARTINS PRADO, GUSTAVO MARCONDES; BIDOLA, PIDASSA; HERZEN, JULIA; PFEIFFER, FRANZ; STAMPAR, SERGIO NASCIMENTO; ALVES FORANCELLI PACHECO, MIRIAN LIZA. Ediacaran Corumbella has a cataphract calcareous skeleton with controlled biomineralization. ISCIENCE, v. 25, n. 12, p. 19-pg., 2022-12-08. (22/10829-1, 09/02312-4, 19/03552-0, 21/05083-8, 21/07007-7, 16/06114-6, 17/21584-1)

PANSANI, THAIS R.; POBINER, BRIANA; GUERIAU, PIERRE; THOURY, MATHIEU; TAFFOREAU, PAUL; BARANGER, EMMANUEL; VIALOU, AGUEDA V.; VIALOU, DENIS; MCSPARRON, CORMAC; DE CASTRO, MARIELA C.; et al. Evidence of artefacts made of giant sloth bones in central Brazil around the last glacial maximum. PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES, v. 290, n. 2002, p. 12-pg., 2023-07-12. (22/10829-1, 21/05083-8)

BENDIA, AMANDA G.; CALLEFO, FLAVIA; ARAUJO, MAICON N.; SANCHEZ, EVELYN; TEIXEIRA, VERONICA C.; VASCONCELOS, ALESSANDRA; BATTILANI, GISLAINE; PELLIZARI, VIVIAN H.; RODRIGUES, FABIO; GALANTE, DOUGLAS. Metagenome-Assembled Genomes from Monte Cristo Cave (Diamantina, Brazil) Reveal Prokaryotic Lineages As Functional Models for Life on Mars. ASTROBIOLOGY, OCT 2021. (21/05083-8, 12/23241-0, 16/06114-6, 20/02537-5)

NECKEL, ITAMAR T.; DE CASTRO, LUCAS F.; CALLEFO, FLAVIA; TEIXEIRA, VERONICA C.; GOBBI, ANGELO L.; PIAZZETTA, MARIA H.; DE OLIVEIRA, RICARDO A. G.; LIMA, RENATO S.; VICENTE, RAFAEL A.; GALANTE, DOUGLAS; et al. Development of a sticker sealed microfluidic device for in situ analytical measurements using synchrotron radiation. SCIENTIFIC REPORTS, v. 11, n. 1, DEC 8 2021. (20/02537-5, 19/13888-6, 21/05083-8)

CALLEFO, FLAVIA; RICARDI-BRANCO, FRESIA; PACHECO, MIRIAN LIZA ALVES FORANCELLI; CARDOSO, ALEXANDRE RIBEIRO; NOFFKE, NORA; TEIXEIRA, VERONICA DE CARVALHO; NECKEL, ITAMAR TOMIO; MALDANIS, LARA; BULLOCK, EMMA; BOWER, DINA; et al. Evidence for metabolic diversity in Meso-Neoproterozoic stromatolites (Vazante Group, Brazil). Frontiers in Earth Science, v. 10, p. 18-pg., 2022-07-22. (16/06114-6, 15/21810-6, 20/02537-5, 21/05083-8)

TOLENTINO, HELIO C. N.; GERALDES, RENAN R.; DA SILVA, FRANCISCO M. C.; GUAITA, MARIA GABRIELLA D.; CAMARDA, CAROLINA M.; SZOSTAK, RODRIGO; NECKEL, ITAMAR T.; TEIXEIRA, VERONICA C.; HESTERBERG, DEAN; PEREZ, CARLOS A.; et al. The CARNAUBA X-ray nanospectroscopy beamline at the Sirius-LNLS synchrotron light source: Developments, commissioning, and first science at the TARUMA station. Journal of Electron Spectroscopy and Related Phenomena, v. 266, p. 25-pg., 2023-06-15. (21/01357-6, 20/02537-5, 21/05083-8)