Bio-geochemical interface research method based on soil chip technology.

Recently, a research team on anaesthic ecological processes, led by Wu Jinshui, a researcher at the Institute of Subtropical Atropics and Ecology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, has made new methodological advances in the study of soil bio-geochemical interface formation processes.
soil is visually known as the skin of the earth and is the most complex biophysical material on Earth.
in soil microstrucular, the bio-geochemical process on the surface of soil particles controls the transport and metabolism of pollutants and nutrients, and is a key driver of soil ecosystem function.
However, the traditional methods of methods of methods of methods of geo-separation and chemical extraction, which do not allow for in-depth controlled and detailed observation and study of the dynamic interaction processes of micro-organisms and soil interfaces in the micro-environment, lead to a lack of consensus on the physical, chemical and biological coupling processes of bio-geochemical element cycles, such as organic carbon cycles.
process-oriented exploration of the formation and function of bio-geochemical interface is an important challenge in soil science research.
The team's doctoral student, Huang Xiyi, worked with Li Yiwei, a doctoral student at Huaying University of Science and Technology, to explore the soil micro-interface process under the joint guidance of researcher Wu Jinshui and professor Liu Penfeng: a hydromagic patterned microflow control chip technology was used to build an 800-micron hydromagic microarray, and the fresh soil suspension was applied to the hydromass array. After the evaporation of water, the soil independently forms a soil microparticle dot matrix (SoilChip) with a common structure, and then cultures it with soluble soil organic matter extracted from the original soil, and the bio-geochemical interface between Mollisol and Oxisol in drylands with significant differences in properties is compared by 21-day culture tests.
Scan electron spectrometry shows significant differences in microbial community structure characteristics (individual morphology, size, and quantity) on different soil micro-interfaces, and in combination with X-ray photoelectronic energy spectrum (XPS), the dynamic processes of the main elements (O, Si, Al, Fe, Ca, Mg, C, N) on the micro-interface are quantified.
Based on the comparison of microbial and elemental dynamics, the formation process of the two soil bio-geochemical interfaces is discussed, and it is found that the water content, the organic transformation process involving microorganisms and the mineral composition together determine the specificity of the soil bio-geochemical interface.
Different from the traditional extraction-based research methods, this study for the first time proposes a controlled, dynamic and direct soil micro-interface research method, which can also be combined with rich surface quality technology to provide an important method and model for the study of soil micro-ecological processes.
study was recently published in Soil Biology and Biochemistry under the title SoilChip-XPS integrated to study of soil biochemical interface.
research has been funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the Chinese Academy of Sciences Strategic Pilot Project and the Chinese Academy of Sciences Subtropical Ecology Institute Youth Innovation Team and other projects.
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