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The global element cycles The movement of elements such as carbon, nitrogen, sulfur, and iron through Earth's systems is governed by a set of processes known as biogeochemical cycles. This connection between the sulfur and iron cycles affects nutrient flow and the production or breakdown of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane. Diverse bacteria and archaea possess the genetic capacity for MISO," explains Song-Can Chen, lead author of the study, "and they are found in a wide range of natural and human-made environments." In marine sediments, MISO could account for up to 7% of global sulfide oxidation to sulfate, driven by the substantial flux of reactive iron from rivers and melting glaciers into the oceans. The findings of the University of Vienna team, which is supported by the Austrian Science Fund (FWF) as part of the 'Microbiomes Drive Planetary Health' Cluster of Excellence, reveal a previously unknown biological mechanism that links sulfur, iron, and carbon cycling in oxygen-free environments."