We have developed a series of deep ocean experimental simulators (DOES), and, we have the only laboratory in the world that can simulate deep-sea cold seeps, hydrothermal vents, and hadal trenches in an all-round way, providing a platform for domestic and international counterparts to cultivate and analyze deep-sea microbes. Currently, the team has designed and built more than 1,000 sets of deep-sea simulation and high-pressure cultivation systems. These include (a) cold seep/hydrothermal vent/hadal trench simulation systems. The core technology supplies a continuous flow of a mixture of high-pressure gas and high-pressure seawater to simulate deep-sea environments with eruptions in a laboratory setting. Using this system, we can independently control the gas composition, gas pressure, liquid composition, liquid flow rate, cultivation pressure, cultivation temperature, and other parameters while being able to long-term incubate the microorganisms under a continuous high-pressure flow and analyze the microbial activities without depressurization; (b) high-pressure tubes suitable for transport and storage of the deep-sea sample under pressures up to 115 MPa, including portable pump and high-pressure tubes that are safe, portable, and cheap. These are suitable for usage on board, in the field, and in laboratories; (c) static high-pressure cultivation equipment designed in various models (80~3000 ml volumes and 40~115 MPa pressures); and (d) ultra-high-pressure (up to 200 MPa) and temperature-controlled (-20~150 ℃) cultivation equipment to simulate the extreme environments in the deep biosphere and explore the limits of life.
The Deep Ocean Experimental Simulators (DOES)
(Edited by Manping Zhang)
(Editing Contact：xjz@xmu.edu.cn)