Methane-producing Microbes
Methane-producing Microbes - Related Videos
08:18
Design and Use of a Full Flow Sampling System (FFS) for the Quantification of Methane Emissions
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Cited by 13 •
2016
We have designed, developed, and implemented a novel full flow sampling system (FFS) for quantification of methane emissions and greenhouse gases from across the natural gas supply chain.
15:27
Extracting DNA from the Gut Microbes of the Termite (Zootermopsis Angusticollis) and Visualizing Gut Microbes
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Cited by 18 •
2007
This video illustrates the technique for extracting DNA from the species of microbes resident in the termite hindgut. The preparation of a wet mount slide, which is useful for visualizing the gut microbial community is also illustrated, and a tour through the species-rich gut environment is given.
01:26
Microbes and Methanogenesis
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2026
Methanogenesis is a critical microbial process in anaerobic ecosystems responsible for the biological production of methane, a potent greenhouse gas and valuable biofuel. This metabolic pathway is primarily facilitated by methanogenic archaea, which thrive in anoxic environments such as wetlands, sediments, and animal gastrointestinal tracts. The absence of oxygen in these habitats prevents aerobic respiration, thereby favoring alternative biochemical pathways for organic matter degradation.In...
11:02
The Use of an Automated System (GreenFeed) to Monitor Enteric Methane and Carbon Dioxide Emissions from Ruminant Animals
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Cited by 119 •
2015
Accuracy and precision of the techniques used to measure methane emissions from ruminant animals are critically important for the success of greenhouse gas mitigation efforts. This manuscript describes the principles and operation of an automated system to monitor methane and carbon dioxide mass fluxes from the breath of ruminant animals.
09:31
Preparation of Authigenic Pyrite from Methane-bearing Sediments for In Situ Sulfur Isotope Analysis Using SIMS
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Cited by 2 •
2017
Analyses of the sulfur isotopic composition (δ34S) of pyrite from methane-bearing sediments have typically focused on bulk samples. Here, we applied secondary ion mass spectroscopy to analyze the δ34S values of various pyrite generations to understand the diagenetic history of pyritization.
FAQs
One pathway reduces carbon dioxide with hydrogen, whereas another converts acetate into methane and carbon dioxide. These routes use different starting materials but produce methane as the end product of energy-yielding metabolism. The distinction helps explain why methanogens can function in environments containing different available carbon and energy sources.
Methanogenesis occurs in environments without oxygen, including wetlands, sediments, animal digestive tracts, and engineered reactors. These conditions allow the relevant metabolic pathways to proceed and support the activity of anaerobic archaea. When examining methane production, the surrounding environment therefore matters because oxygen availability helps determine whether methanogenesis can occur.
Methanogens occupy a functional position in anaerobic food webs by converting carbon dioxide and hydrogen or acetate into methane and carbon dioxide. Their metabolism links the breakdown of organic material to methane formation, connecting microbial activity with broader ecosystem function. This role makes them important in studies of sediments, wetlands, and digestive systems.
By transforming carbon-containing compounds into methane, methanogens influence how carbon moves through oxygen-free ecosystems. Their activity can contribute to methane released from natural environments and from human-associated systems. Studying these organisms therefore helps connect microbial metabolism with carbon-cycle processes and with greenhouse gas emissions relevant to climate-change research.
Engineered reactors provide oxygen-free conditions in which methanogens can generate methane as part of anaerobic processing. The resulting methane contributes to biogas production, giving these microbes a role in renewable-energy research and waste-treatment systems. Their activity links microbial metabolism with an engineered outcome that can be studied for both environmental and energy applications.
In environmental biology, methanogens help explain ecosystem function, anaerobic food webs, carbon cycling, and methane emissions. In renewable-energy research, their methane production supports biogas generation in engineered systems. Examining the same microbial process across wetlands, sediments, digestive tracts, and reactors shows how biological mechanisms can have both ecological and practical significance.