The researchers believe it is the first use of modern DNA sequencing of microbial communities in the search for buried minerals. The research represents a new tool for mineral exploration, where a full toolbox could save prospectors time and a lot of money,Researchers have identified buried kimberlite, the rocky home of diamonds, by testing the DNA of microbes in the surface soil.
"This technique was born from a necessity to see through the earth with greater sensitivity and resolution, and it has the potential to be used where other techniques aren't working," said Phillips. Using this set, they tested the surface soil at a second site in the Northwest Territories where they suspected kimberlite was present, and precisely located the topological outline and location of kimberlite buried tens of metres beneath the earth's surface. This showed that indicators from one site could predict the location at another site.
The technique, born from work by a team including Phillips, Dr. Simister, Dr. Sean Crowe and the late professor Peter Winterburn, could catalyze the discovery of new kimberlite deposits. These rocks are known not only as potential stores of diamonds, but also for their ability to capture and store atmospheric carbon.
Dr. Crowe, along with Dr. Simister and co-author Dr. Craig Hart, co-owns spin-off company Discovery Genomics which provides these sequencing services to the mineral resource sector.
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