Research Projects

The abundance of microbial life and sources of energy necessary for àeepsubsurface microbial communities in enigmatic.Here we propose to investigate deep microbial processes and their potential relationship'srem a to geological/geophysical events in granitic subsurface ofK oyna-W arna region ofD eccan traps drilled and sampléd through pilotbore hole drilling.M icrobialdiversity and function within the deep Enrth crustplay criticalrole in ma-lorbiogeochemicalactivitiesofthisplanetandisofgreatimportanceinunderstandingthe biosphere within nutritionally challenged deep granitic bed rock with seism ic activity. Compam d to several internationalprojectsonoceanicandintercontineptaldrillingsthatprovidescientiststolookinsidethedeep bios here of dher granite hosted seism ogenic areas at deep ocean, ourunderstemding otgeomicrobial1! activlties,theircompositionandroleinC,N,Sandotherelementcyclingwithindeejterrestrialsubsurface is very limited.Recent attem ptto drill a pilotbore hole upto 3 km offers an extraordinâry oppo> nity to inveàtigatedeep biosphere ofDeccan traps. Concpmitantto such deep drilling operation, where core snmples areexpectedfrom deep subsurfaceofbeccantfaps(>10û0n!to3000m),thepresentprojectisproposedto explore the microbialdiversity and function across the verticaldept.h up to 3000 m using state ofthe art m etagenom ic approachsThis study w ill attempt to answer m ost of the decadal queqtions of deép life- (hdps://deepcrbon.nevdocumenfdco-decadalrgoals-and-research-questions)usingdeepsubsurfacesnmjlej ofDeccantraps.Alongwithassociated geo -qhemical/zphysical,petrpgraphic,and otherphysicochemical apjroaches,theexploration ofmicrobialâctivlty willallow usto develop comgleteunderstanding ofthe actlvitiesoccurring w ithin deep biosphereofDbccan trapsand within azoneofactlve seism icity

• Scientific drilling of 3000-meter-deep borehole at Koyna, India provided an unprecedented opportunity to explore microbial life from interior of the dark, crystalline granitic Earth crust of Archean eon.