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-lorbiogeochemicalactivitiesofthisplanetandisofgreatimportanceinunderstandingthebiosphere within nutritionally challenged deep granitic bed rock with seism ic activity. Compam d to severalinternationalprojectsonoceanicandintercontineptaldrillingsthatprovidescientiststolookinsidethedeepbios here of dher granite hosted seism ogenic areas at deep ocean, ourunderstemding otgeomicrobial1!activlties,theircompositionandroleinC,N,Sandotherelementcyclingwithindeejterrestrialsubsurfaceis very limited.Recent attem ptto drill a pilotbore hole upto 3 km offers an extraordinâry oppo> nity toinveàtigatedeep biosphere ofDeccan traps. Concpmitantto such deep drilling operation, where core snmplesareexpectedfrom deep subsurfaceofbeccantfaps(>10û0n!to3000m),thepresentprojectisproposedtoexplore the microbialdiversity and function across the verticaldept.h up to 3000 m using state ofthe artm 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)usingdeepsubsurfacesnmjlejofDeccantraps.Alongwithassociated geo -qhemical/zphysical,petrpgraphic,and otherphysicochemicalapjroaches,theexploration ofmicrobialâctivlty willallow usto develop comgleteunderstanding oftheactlvitiesoccurring 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.