methanotroph

plural methanotrophs

1. Any bacterium or archaeon that consumes methane as a source of carbon and of energy.

   Methanotrophs are fairly ubiquitous in soil, but two distinct types have been reported.

   2007, David S. Reay, Keith A. Smith, C. Nick Hewitt, “9: Methane: Importance, Sources and Sinks”, in Dave Reay, editor, Greenhouse Gas Sinks, CABI, page 149

   2 more examples

   Because heterotrophic bacteria rapidly outgrow methanotrophs in media supplemented with complex nutrients, most pure cultures of methanotrophs have been isolated using defined media without organic supplements.

   1998, Richard S. Hanson, “6: Ecology of Methylotrophic Bacteria”, in Robert S. Burlage, editor, Techniques in Microbial Ecology, page 147

   In addition, some methanotrophs, such as the species of Methylococcus and Methylocaldum, lack distinctive fatty acid biomarkers.

   2006, John Bowman, “Chapter 3.1.14: The Methanotrophs-The Families Methylococcaceae and Methylocystaceae”, in Stanley Falkow, Eugene Rosenberg, Karl-Heinz Schleifer, Erko Stackebrandt, editors, The Prokaryotes, Volume 5: Proteobacteria: Alpha and Beta Subclasses, 3rd edition, Springer, page 272

   Synonyms: methanophile