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Victoria Orphan
California Institute of Technology

About

Victoria Orphan, a professor of environmental science and geobiology at Caltech, is recognized for her work studying the anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM) by microorganisms found in deep sea sediment. By revealing the symbiotic relationship between the seafloor bacteria and single-celled Archaea and how AOM effects the Earth’s ocean chemistry and prevents release of methane into the atmosphere, she has helped to provide clues about the climate and ecology of early Earth.

April, 2016 – Victoria was interviewed for the NOVA article The Search for Superorganisms

Current Projects

NAI Project Collaborators

Publications

  • Bailey, J. V., Orphan, V. J., Joye, S. B., & Corsetti, F. A. (2009). Chemotrophic Microbial Mats and Their Potential for Preservation in the Rock Record. Astrobiology, 9(9), 843–859. doi:10.1089/ast.2008.0314

    See Project

  • Bailey, J. V., Raub, T. D., Meckler, A. N., Harrison, B. K., Raub, T. M. D., Green, A. M., & Orphan, V. J. (2010). Pseudofossils in relict methane seep carbonates resemble endemic microbial consortia. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 285(1-2), 131–142. doi:10.1016/j.palaeo.2009.11.002

    See Project

  • Bailey, J. V., Salman, V., Rouse, G. W., Schulz-Vogt, H. N., Levin, L. A., & Orphan, V. J. (2011). Dimorphism in methane seep-dwelling ecotypes of the largest known bacteria. ISME J, 5(12), 1926–1935. doi:10.1038/ismej.2011.66

    See Project

  • Beal, E. J., House, C. H., & Orphan, V. J. (2009). Manganese- and Iron-Dependent Marine Methane Oxidation. Science, 325(5937), 184–187. doi:10.1126/science.1169984

    See Project

  • Dekas, A. E., & Orphan, V. J. (2011). Identification of Diazotrophic Microorganisms in Marine Sediment via Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization Coupled to Nanoscale Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (FISH-NanoSIMS). Methods in Enzymology, None, 281–305. doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-381294-0.00012-2

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  • Fike, D. A., Finke, N., Zha, J., Blake, G., Hoehler, T. M., & Orphan, V. J. (2009). The effect of sulfate concentration on (sub)millimeter-scale sulfide δ34S in hypersaline cyanobacterial mats over the diurnal cycle. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 73(20), 6187–6204. doi:10.1016/j.gca.2009.07.006

    See Project See Project

  • Fike, D. A., Gammon, C. L., Ziebis, W., & Orphan, V. J. (2008). Micron-scale mapping of sulfur cycling across the oxycline of a cyanobacterial mat: a paired nanoSIMS and CARD-FISH approach. ISME J, 2(7), 749–759. doi:10.1038/ismej.2008.39

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  • House, C. H., Beal, E. J., & Orphan, V. J. (2011). The Apparent Involvement of ANMEs in Mineral Dependent Methane Oxidation, as an Analog for Possible Martian Methanotrophy. Life, 1(1), 19–33. doi:10.3390/life1010019

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  • House, C. H., Orphan, V. J., Turk, K. A., Thomas, B., Pernthaler, A., Vrentas, J. M., & Joye, S. B. (2009). Extensive carbon isotopic heterogeneity among methane seep microbiota. Environmental Microbiology, 11(9), 2207–2215. doi:10.1111/j.1462-2920.2009.01934.x

    See Project

  • Jahnke, L. L., Orphan, V. J., Embaye, T., Turk, K. A., Kubo, M. D., Summons, R. E., & Des Marais, D. J. (2008). Lipid biomarker and phylogenetic analyses to reveal archaeal biodiversity and distribution in hypersaline microbial mat and underlying sediment. Geobiology, 6(4), 394–410. doi:10.1111/j.1472-4669.2008.00165.x

    See Project

  • Newman, D. K., Orphan, V. J., & Reysenbach, A-L. (2012). Molecular Biology’s Contributions to Geobiology. Fundamentals of Geobiology, None, 228–249. doi:10.1002/9781118280874.ch13

    See Project

  • Orphan, V. J., & Hoehler, T. M. (2011). Microbiology: Hydrogen for dinner. Nature, 476(7359), 154–155. doi:10.1038/476154a

    See Project

  • Orphan, V. J., & House, C. H. (2009). Geobiological investigations using secondary ion mass spectrometry: microanalysis of extant and paleo-microbial processes. Geobiology, 7(3), 360–372. doi:10.1111/j.1472-4669.2009.00201.x

    See Project See Project

  • Orphan, V. J., Jahnke, L. L., Embaye, T., Turk, K. A., Pernthaler, A., Summons, R. E., & Des Marais, D. J. (2008). Characterization and spatial distribution of methanogens and methanogenic biosignatures in hypersaline microbial mats of Baja California. Geobiology, 6(4), 376–393. doi:10.1111/j.1472-4669.2008.00166.x

    See Project

  • Orphan, V. J., Turk, K. A., Green, A. M., & House, C. H. (2009). Patterns of 15 N assimilation and growth of methanotrophic ANME-2 archaea and sulfate-reducing bacteria within structured syntrophic consortia revealed by FISH-SIMS. Environmental Microbiology, 11(7), 1777–1791. doi:10.1111/j.1462-2920.2009.01903.x

    See Project
  • Fulton, J.M., Bird, L.R., Orphan, V. & Freeman, K.H.  (In Preparation).  Coenzyme F430 carbon and nitrogen isotopic signatures: a test of anaerobic methanotrophic pathway via reversed methanogenic biochemistry.  Organic Geochemistry. See Project
  • Marlow, J., Steele, J., Harrison, B. & Orphan, V.  (2011).  Endolithic anaerobic oxidation of methane at cold seeps.  Goldschmidt Conference.  Prague. See Project
  • Mason, O, J.S., Naehr, T., Lee, R., Thomas, R., Bailey, J. & Orphan, V.  (In Review).  Comparison of archaeal and bacterial diversity in methane seep carbonates and host sediments, Eel River Basin and Hydrate Ridge, USA.  Geobiology. See Project
  • Orphan, V., Dekas, A., Green, A., House, C., Marlow, J., Steele, J., McGlynn, S. & Levin, L.  (2011).  Microbial partnerships and methane-oxidation in the deep sea.  Goldschmidt Conference.  Prague. See Project
  • View all 19 publications

Past NAI Teams