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Abstract

In recent years a widely disseminated microbial deep biosphere was discovered in the subsurface of the Earth. This finding opens the view to a fascinating new world under our feet and forms a new topic in modern microbiology and geoscience research. With its recognition the curiosity arises how these deeply buried microorganisms are able to survive in the deep subsurface. Important questions concerning theses survivalists are: what are the carbon and energy resources of these microbial ecosystems, what are the biotic and abiotic processes of substrate provision and what is the role of the deep biosphere in the organic matter transformation in the geological subsurface carbon cycle? The topic concerning the feedstock for deep microbial life forms the core of the deep biosphere research in Section Organic Geochemistry at GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences.