Revival of Archaeal Methane Microbiology

Abstract

The methane concentration in the Earth’s atmosphere is rising, and, as methane is a potent greenhouse gas, it contributes considerably to climate change. It is produced by methanogenic archaea that thrive in anoxic habitats and can be oxidized by methane-oxidizing bacteria or archaea. The methane concentration in the Earth’s atmosphere is rising, and, as methane is a potent greenhouse gas, it contributes considerably to climate change. It is produced by methanogenic archaea that thrive in anoxic habitats and can be oxidized by methane-oxidizing bacteria or archaea. In this Perspective , recent innovations and discoveries in archaeal methane microbiology are discussed and a future outlook on how novel methane-metabolizing archaea might be cultivated is provided.