Prof. Hailiang Dong Discusses Synergistic Evolution

Prof. Hailiang Dong, a world-renowned geomicrobiologist working at the University of Miami, USA, was invited by Prof. Guangyi Wang from the School of Environment Science and Engineering to Tianjin University and delivered a report entitled "Synergistic Evolution of the Earth's Environment and Biology and its Enlightenment to the Livability of the Earth" on July 18, 2019.

During the report, Prof. Dong highlighted the relationship between the evolution of the earth's environment, from the ancient anaerobic environment to modern aerobic environment, and the physiology and metabolism of microorganisms. Particularly, he discussed the association of microbial metabolism with specific geological conditions and explained the synergy between geological and biological evolution at the molecular level. He also presented evidence for a naturally occurring microbially induced smectite-to-illite transition, a consequence of a bacterial survival and growth strategy at diagenetic temperatures. Prof. Dong pointed out that these research findings have implications in petroleum exploration and understanding of microorganisms in the deep biosphere. Additionally, he mentioned that in the field of environmental protection, the clay minerals ‒ used as carriers to treat organic pollutants ‒ are first used as carriers to reduce high valence heavy metals, radioactive ions, and nitrate nitrogen with Fe2+ to achieve permanent decontamination. Through case studies, he demonstrated the chemical and biological modification mechanism of different types of rocks and soil.

Teachers and students from the School of Environmental Science and Engineering and the Institute of Surface-Earth System Science listend to the report.

By Guangyi Wang from the School of Environmental Science and Engineering

Editors: Eva Yin & Doris Harrington