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The discipline of "Bio-Organic Geochemistry" is a cross research field between biogeochemistry and traditional organic geochemistry, which focuses on geochemical processes related to the biosynthesis of organic molecules (particularly lipids) by (micro) organisms, organic matter production by primary producers, degradation of organic matter by microbial processes recorded by retainable lipid biomarkers, and organic proxies for studies of paleo-climate, paleo-environments, paleoecology and Earth evolution. This field aims to go beyond the traditional petroleum-oriented Organic Geochemistry by integrating with biogeochemical concepts concerned mostly with biomolecules from cellular material such as DNA and lipids. A formal Chinese organization in Bio-Organic Geochemistry was established in 2012 when the first conference was held in Guangzhou. This organization has witnessed rapid growth over the past six years with focused research addressing organic proxies in paleoclimate and paleoenvironmental applications, with particular rapid development in glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers-derived proxies. Most progresses in China so far are made following or paralleling the international trend in biogeochemical studies. Things have begun to change with China's ambitious initiatives in several bio-geo programs such as the Ocean Deep Drilling Program of China, the Microbial Hydrosphere Program, the Deep Carbon Observatory, and the Microbiome Program. Looking forward in the 21st Century, the growing Chinese research community in Bio-Organic Geochemistry faces grand opportunities and challenges as Chinese scientists propel themselves toward global research frontiers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microbes are well-known for their great diversity and abundance in modern natural environments. They also are believed to provide critical links among higher organisms and their associated environments. However, the low diversity of morphological features and structures of ancient microbes preserved in sediments and rocks make them difficult to identify and classify. This difficulty greatly hinders the investigation of geomicrobes throughout Earth history. Thus, most previous paleontological studies have focused on faunal and floral fossils. Here, geomicrobial functional groups (GFGs), or a collection of microbes featured in specific ecological, physiological or biogeochemical functions, are suggested to provide a way to overcome the difficulties of ancient microbe investigations. GFGs are known for their great diversity in ecological, physiological and biogeochemical functions. In addition, GFGs may be preserved as the biogeochemical, mineralogical and sedimentological records in sediments and rocks. We reviewed the functions, origins and identification diagnostics of some important GFGs involved in the elemental cycles of carbon, sulfur, nitrogen and iron. GFGs were further discussed with respect to their significant impacts on paleoclimate, sulfur chemistry of ancient seawater, nutritional status of geological environments, and the deposition of Precambrian banded iron formations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explores the use of the geobiological approach in the assessment of Chinese carbonate source rocks. A series of paleoecological and biogeochemical parameters were employed to represented organic carbon (OC). It notes that clastic rocks based on geobiological parameters are qualified source rocks, while good source rocks from carbonates have low total organic carbon (TOC) values. It also notes the broad range of habitat types for carbonate source rocks in the Yangtze platform.