NWT RESEARCH DATABASE

Regions: Dehcho Region, South Slave Region

Tags: climate change, mineral exploration, microbiology, mineral deposit, kimberlites

Objective(s): To enhance mineral exploration success in glaciated terrains of northern Canada and generate knowledge about northern soil microbiome controls on greenhouse gas emissions.

Project Description: This licence has been issued for the scientific research application No.5296. The research team aim to enhance mineral exploration success in glaciated terrains of northern Canada and generate knowledge about northern soil microbiome controls on greenhouse gas emissions. Soil samples will be collected over-top of a variety of geologically relevant structures, including kimberlite-hosted diamond deposits and Zinc (Zn) – Lead (Pb) mineralization. During sampling, different physical and chemical variables will be measured (e.g., pH, moisture) and the surface materials will be mapped. The soils will undergo DNA sequencing where we will derive taxonomic and functional information about the soil microbial communities. Sequence data and bioinformatics tools will then be used to determine if there are microbial anomalies above these new deposits, if there are shared species above existing deposits compared to new ones, how these microbial anomalies form above the surface of mineral resources, and how soil microorganisms metabolize carbon. The data and results of the research will be disseminated to the public in several ways. Updates of research progress will be presented in the Northwest Territories at the Yellowknife Geoscience Forum conference and in regular reporting to the Northwest Territories Geological Survey (NTGS). The research team will work with the Government of the Northwest Territories to create documentation that can be accessed and utilized by the public and by the mineral exploration and mining industry to conduct microbiological-based mineral exploration in the territory. This includes protocol documents and biological information layers to maps of surficial materials, to be delivered at the completion of the project. The research will be communicated, and data made available and accessible through the publishing of papers in scientific journals, online platforms managed by the NTGS, and DNA sequencing information will be deposited into the sequence read archive at the National Center for Biotechnology Information. The fieldwork for this study will be conducted from September 13, 2022 to September 27, 2022