ElectroMicrobiological Oxygen Generation in Dark, Anoxic Sediments (OxyGen)

Common wisdom is that oxygen is produced by light-dependent oxygenic photosynthesis, with only three known oxygenic processes in dark anoxic environments, only occurring rarely under very specific conditions. This leaves organisms in anoxic sediments dependent on less efficient anaerobic metabolism. In spite of this well-established paradigm, there have been several reports of aerobic metabolism in dark oxygen-free (anoxic) sediment that cannot be explained by the existing three dark oxygenic mechanisms. In OxyGen I will test a hypothesis for a fourth, completely novel mechanism for dark oxygen generation via electrically conductive filamentous bacteria. If my theory is true, this will mean the discovery of a hitherto unknown mode of oxygen production and a completely new understanding of oxygen transport through the environment.