Minerals & microorganisms, a possible relationship: an awareness project of GEOMICROBIology

The growing awareness of the relationships between minerals and microorganisms has deeply impacted the geosciences in the last decades. Microorganisms have been recognized to play a critical role in element cycles, resulting in the precipitation of minerals and in the formation of peculiar rocks (e.g. stromatolites and thrombolites) that punctuate the geological record. Moreover, the Earth history was characterized by episodes of massive accumulation of mineralized remains of microorganisms on the ocean floors, resulting in the formation of biogenous oozes that represent natural archives of past climatic and oceanographic variability. Finally, the rapid growth of minerals can act as a trap for microorganisms that can be perfectly preserved within the crystal lattice or fluid inclusions for millions of years. Such strict connections between the geosphere and the biosphere are mostly unknown to the general audience, although the impact of microbial (microorganisms) and nanoscopic (viruses) life on our society is emerging more and more. The project “Minerals & Microbes, a possible relationship: GEOMICROBIology for dummies” aims at showing the microbial life enclosed in minerals and rocks. Improving people awareness about the role of microorganisms in shaping the Earth will contribute to understand the importance of life as a “geological force”. The project GEOMICROBI aspires to raise such awareness throughout imaging (mostly by SEM high-definition photomicrographs) the "invisible life" hidden within minerals and rocks. Main target of the project is the creation of a photographic exhibition accompanied by informative conferences on the theme "Minerals & Microorganisms". This poster is intended to attract the attention of the international sedimentological community showing the first results of this dissemination initiative on mineral-microorganism interactions.