Yohei Suzuki
Commendation
Contributions to understanding of biological and inorganic interactions in the dark biosphere
A list of five major papers
- Ino, K., Hernsdorf, A.W., Konno, U., Kouduka, M., Yanagawa, K., Kato,S., Sunamura, M., Hirota, A., Togo, Y.S., Ito, K., Fukuda, A., Iwatsuki, T., Mizuno,T., Komatsu, D.D., Tsunogai, U., Ishimura, T., Amano, Y., Thomas, B.C., Banfield,J.F., Suzuki, Y. (2018) Ecological and genomic profiling of anaerobic methane・oxidizing archaea in a deep granitic environment. ISME Journal, 12:31・47.
- Suzuki, Y., Mukai, H., Ishimura, T., Yokoyama, T.D., Sakata, S., Hirata, T., Iwatsuki, T., Mizuno, T (2016) Formation and Geological Sequestration of Uranium Nanoparticles in Deep Granitic Aquifer. Scientific Reports, doi:10.1038/srep22701.
- Suzuki, Y., Kopp, R.E., Kogure, T., Suga, A., Takai, K., Tsuchida, S., Ozaki, N., Endo, K., Hashimoto, J., Kato, Y., Mizota, C., Hirata, T., Chiba, H., Nealson, K.H., Horikoshi, K., Kirschvink, J.L. (2006) Sclerite formation in the hydrothermal・vent ”scaly・foot” gastropod ・ possible control on iron sulfide biomineralization by the animal. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 242: 39・50
- Suzuki, Y., Sasaki T, Suzuki M, Nogi Y, Miwa T, Takai K, Nealson KH, Horikoshi K (2005) Novel Chemoautotrophic Endosymbiosis Between a Member of the Epsilonproteobacteria and the Hydrothermal・Vent Gastropod Alviniconcha aff. hessleri (Gastropoda:Provannidae) from the Indian Ocean. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 71: 5440・5450
- Suzuki, Y., Kelly, S.D., Kemner, K.M., Banfield, J.F. (2002) Nanometer・size products of uranium bioreduction. Nature 419:134.
Major achievements
It is becoming increasingly clear that in addition to the surface biosphere depending on photosynthetic organisms, the ecosystem depending on chemosynthetic organisms in deep underground and deep sea (the dark biosphere) is essential to understand the life’s diversity and limit on Earth. By combining various geochemical, mineralogical and biological techniques, Dr. Suzuki revealed the interactions between organisms and minerals in the dark biosphere one after another, including the discovery of the formation of uranium nanocrystal by microorganisms in ore deposits, the involvement of chemosynthetic bacteria in the formation of iron sulfide scales in deep-sea hydrothermal snails, and the discovery of subsurface methane-dependent ecosystems. This achievement is highly evaluated internationally not only in geomicrobiology but also in astrobiology with respect to the origin of life and extraterrestrial life exploration.