Thermophilic iron -reducer chemolithoautotrophic

Although under chemolithoautotrophic growth conditions, cell densities of only 3-5 x 10 cells per milliliter were observed, the specific rate of Fe(III) reduced per cell unit was about 10 times faster than what had been published for any other Fe(lll) reducer. This strengthens the hypothesis that microbially mediated Fe(III) reduction by obligately anaerobic thermophiles could have been an important process on early Earth, when elevated temperatures were predominant (Baross 1998 Kashefi and Lovley 2000), which includes the involvement in the formation of specific Banded Iron Formations. In light of the properties of the above Fe(lll) reducers, the theories on the origin and biogeochemistry of Banded Iron Formations should be revisited. 

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