Newly discovered Siberian soda lake microorganisms convert organic material directly into methane

Researchers from Delft and Moscow have discovered a new class of micro-organisms in Siberian soda lakes. These organisms grow in sodium carbonate brines with a pH 10 and convert methyl group organic materials into methane gas. 

The lead author is researcher Dimitry Sorokin, who works at Delft University of Technology. "Dimitry studies the microbiology of soda lakes in Siberia," says co-author and colleague prof. Mark van Loosdrecht from Delft. "

The organisms that Dimitry has discovered grow optimally at temperatures from 50 to 55 degrees Celsius, and at a pH of 10 in salt-saturating brines. They convert C1-methylated organic compounds into methane gas. This discovery gives new insights into the evolution of life on earth and into the range of extreme conditions under which microorganisms can still grow."

In the future, these newly discovered organisms could also play a role in the production of methane from organic waste. The big advantage is that at a high pH, CO2 remains in the solution. Thus, methane gas is produced instead of biogas (which contains CO2). Currently, biogas still has to be upgraded to natural gas quality for utilization in gas networks. This upgrading process costs a lot of energy.