Diana E. Northup

University of New Mexico

Author Statistics

Papers

Citation

H-Index

i-10 index

Research Trends

Author Order

Document Type

Co-Authors

Penelope J. Boston

Ames Research Center

M. Spilde

University of New Mexico

Larry L. Barton

University of New Mexico

Jennifer Hathaway

University of New Mexico

Ara S. Winter

University of New Mexico

M. Spilde

University of New Mexico

Leslie A. Melim

Western Illinois University

Jason C. Kimble

University of New Mexico

Maria de Lurdes Enes Dapkevicius

Universidade dos Açores

Debbie C. Buecher

Cooperative Institutions

University of New Mexico

United States Geological Survey

Institut Philippe Pinel de Montréal

Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique

Universidade dos Açores

University of South Florida

Georg Simon Ohm University of Applied Sciences Nuremberg

University of Helsinki

University of California, Berkeley

Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas

Author Statistics

Papers

Citation

H-Index

i-10 index

Research Field

Subsurface sulfur systems: Production and preservation of distinctive biogenic signatures in sulfur, iron, manganese, and carbonate cave systems

Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta (2006)

Penelope J. Boston M. Spilde Diana E. Northup Laura Rosales-Lagarde Kevin W. Stafford

10.1016/j.gca.2006.06.225

Cite

Citations (2)

A potential central role of Thaumarchaeota in N-Cycling in a semi-arid environment, Fort Stanton Cave, Snowy River passage, New Mexico, USA

FEMS Microbiology Ecology (2018)

Jason C. Kimble Ara S. Winter M. Spilde Robert L. Sinsabaugh Diana E. Northup

Low biomass and productivity of arid-land caves with limited availability of nitrogen (N) raises the question of how microbes acquire and cycle this essential element. Caves are ideal environments for investigating microbial functional capabilities, as they lack phototrophic activity and have near constant temperatures and high relative humidity. From the walls of Fort Stanton Cave (FSC), multicolored secondary mineral deposits of soil-like material low in fixed N, known as ferromanganese deposits (FMD), were collected. We hypothesized that within FMD samples we would find the presence of microbial N cycling genes and taxonomy related to N cycling microorganisms. Community DNA were sequenced using Illumina shotgun metagenomics and 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Results suggest a diverse N cycle encompassing several energetic pathways including nitrification, dissimilatory nitrate reduction and denitrification. N cycling genes associated with assimilatory nitrate reduction were also identified. Functional gene sequences and taxonomic findings suggest several bacterial and archaeal phyla potentially play a role in nitrification pathways in FSC and FMD. Thaumarchaeota, a deep-branching archaeal division, likely play an essential and possibly dominant role in the oxidation of ammonia. Our results provide genomic evidence for understanding how microbes are potentially able to acquire and cycle N in a low-nutrient subterranean environment.

Thaumarchaeota

Nitrogen Cycle

Nutrient cycle

10.1093/femsec/fiy173

Cite

Citations (37)

Molecular phylogentic analysis of a bacterial community in Sulphur River, Parker Cave, Kentucky

American Mineralogist (1998)

Ester R. Angert Diana E. Northup Anna‐Louise Reysenbach Andrew S. Peek Brett M. Goebel

10.2138/am-1997-11-1246

Cite

Citations (0)

Living Together: Microbial Communities

Microbial Ecology (2011)

Larry L. Barton Diana E. Northup

Energy Flow

Community

10.1002/9781118015841.ch9

Cite

Citations (0)

Microbes at Work: Bioremediation

Microbial Ecology (2011)

Larry L. Barton Diana E. Northup

Xenobiotic

10.1002/9781118015841.ch13

Cite

Citations (1)

The Karst Information Portal: A Virtual Tool to Facilitate Research and Collaboration in Paleontological Speleology

George Veni Todd A. Chavez Penelope J. Boston Diana E. Northup H. L. Vacher

s 1 007 NSS Convention Program Back Underground in Indiana Paleontology Session Wednesday, July 25 Room 142 The Karst Information Portal: A Virtual Tool to Facilitate Research and Collaboration in Paleontological Speleology

Source

Cite

Citations (0)

Comparison of Fungal and Bacterial Microbiomes of Bats and Their Cave Roosting Environments at El Malpais National Monument, New Mexico, USA

Geomicrobiology Journal (2023)

Jennifer Hathaway Paris S. Hamm Nicole A. Caimi Donald O. Natvig Debbie C. Buecher

The arrival in North America of white-nose syndrome (WNS), a devastating fungal disease in bats, has emphasized the necessity of a comprehensive understanding of the bats’ external skin microbiota. Here, we investigated the composition of the natural bat microbiota pre-WNS and how they are acquired. The fur surfaces of 12 roosting bats, adjacent cave walls, and cave chamber air were sampled in two New Mexican lava caves. Bacterial and fungal diversity were assessed using Illumina MiSeq sequencing. Although many taxa were shared among the sample types, there were significant differences in alpha and beta diversity within and among communities. Bacterial phyla Actinobacteriota (39.1%) and Proteobacteria (27.9%) comprised two-thirds of the sequences. Fungal communities were dominated by Ascomycota (78.9%), followed by Basidiomycota (14.7%), and Mucoromycota (4.3%). Results for bacterial communities suggested that cave walls and cave air influence the bat microbiome and that the bat microbiome can have a reciprocal influence on the microbiome of cave walls. Fungal microbiomes of cave walls, air, and bats appear to have very low impact on each other. Our results begin to elucidate how cave environments may provide natural microbial defenses for bats, one facet in predicting the effect of WNS on western bats.

National monument

10.1080/01490451.2023.2283427

Cite

Citations (5)

MICROBIAL COMMUNITIES IN FERROMANGANESE DEPOSITS IN FORT STANTON CAVE, NM, USA ARE SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT FROM SURFACE SOIL COMMUNITIES

Abstracts with programs - Geological Society of America (2019)

Diana E. Northup Jason C. Kimble Ara S. Winter M. Spilde

Ferromanganese

10.1130/abs/2019am-334929

Cite

Citations (0)

Interactions Between Microorganisms and Plants

Microbial Ecology (2011)

Larry L. Barton Diana E. Northup

10.1002/9781118015841.ch7

Cite

Citations (3)

Bacterial, Archaeal, and Eukaryotic Life of Volcanic Cave Features from Lava Beds National Monument, California, USA

Geomicrobiology Journal (2025)

Molly Devlin Jennifer Hathaway Diana E. Northup M. Spilde Duane P. Moser

Volcanic caves present a variety of surfaces that host unique life, but most microbiology studies of these environments to date have focused on colorful and sometimes abundant biofilms, while largely ignoring ooze and hard secondary mineral deposits. In this study, we conducted 16S/18S rRNA gene sequencing with bacterial, archaeal, and eukaryotic domain-specific primer sets, focusing on a broad spectrum of volcanic cave features in Lava Beds National Monument grouped into 'microbial-dominant' (biofilms and ooze) and 'mineral-dominant' (secondary mineral deposits). While there are differences between individual mineral-dominant features, collectively, microbial communities associated with these features are distinct from those of microbial-dominant based on prokaryotic beta diversity metrics. Mineral-dominant features are not merely a subset of the microbial-dominant owing to their similar alpha diversity scores and unique ASVs. Ooze is distinct from all other categories due to the near absence of otherwise abundant Actinobacteriota and abundance of taxa associated with roles in ammonia and nitrite oxidation. Differences in eukaryotic communities were associated with the sampling year rather than feature type, suggesting that cave eukaryotes have a more transient lifestyle than prokaryotes. Overall, these results provide evidence that mineral-dominant features and ooze are microbiologically distinct from more-often-studied cave biofilms.

Phylogenetic diversity

10.1080/01490451.2024.2443823

Cite

Citations (0)