Microbial aerotrophy enables continuous primary production in diverse cave ecosystems
Sean K. Bay, Gaofeng Ni, Rachael J. Lappan, Pok Man Leung, Wei Wen Wong, Sophie I. Holland, Nadeesha Athukorala, Kalinka Sand Knudsen, Z. Y. Fan, Melina Kerou, Surbhi Jain, Oliver Schmidt, Vera M. Eate, David A. Clarke, Thanavit Jirapanjawat, , Chris Greening
This study identifies aerotrophy as a primary energy source in caves, revealing microbial use of atmospheric trace gases for continuous primary production.
Nature Communications · Nov 21, 2025Peer-reviewedMicrobiology