Endoliths and Euendoliths
Endoliths are organisms that inhabit the interior spaces of rocks. They can be classified into three different types: euendoliths actively bore into the mineral substrate, chasmoendoliths live in crevices and cracks, and cryptoendoliths live within naturally occurring pore spaces or those create from the boring activity of euendoliths. Our research examines endolithic organisms and communities (with a special focus on phototrophs) that inhabit carbonate minerals like calcite and dolomite and other carbonates like dead coral, carbonate sand, marble sculptures, fountains or even concrete. Deciphering the composition, physiology, and ecology of endolithic microbiomes provides new insights into multiple areas of interdisciplinary research. First, bioerosion of carbonate coastal regions and coral reefs by euendolithic organisms will only increase as ocean carbon dioxide levels increase due to global climate change. Understanding the key microbial players and mechanisms in this process will help scientists and engineers try to combat the damaging effects of global climate change. Second, endolithic microbiomes are possible analogs for early continental and coastal microbial life. Understanding how endolithic microbiomes colonize, adapt, and evolve can provide insights into the discovery of life on other planets, and understanding how life evolved on early Earth (and could evolve on young, rocky planets).
In the Garcia-Pichel lab, we explore a wide range of questions involving endolithic microbiomes including the euendolithic mechanism of boring and required physiological adaptations ( [Guida and Garcia-Pichel 2016]( https://www.pnas.org/content/113/20/5712.short), [Guida et al. 2017]( https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-017-00703-4) ), euendolith substrate preference ( [Couradeau et al. 2017]( https://bg.copernicus.org/articles/14/311/2017/) ), endolithic anoxygenic phototrophs ( [Roush et al. 2018]( https://aem.asm.org/content/84/4/e02055-17.short) ), and phototroph colonization dynamics ( [Roush and Garcia-Pichel 2020](https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/8/2/214) ).