. 5 - 7 . 5 . ▁ ▁Research ers ▁have ▁sought ▁ways ▁to ▁util ize ▁M eth anos arc ina ' s ▁m eth ane - produ cing ▁ab ilities ▁more ▁broad ly ▁as ▁an ▁alternative ▁power ▁source . ▁ ▁In ▁December ▁ 2 0 1 0 , ▁University ▁of ▁Ark ansas ▁research ers ▁successfully ▁sp lic ed ▁a ▁gene ▁into ▁M . ▁ac et iv or ans ▁that ▁allowed ▁it ▁to ▁break ▁down ▁est ers . ▁ ▁They ▁argued ▁that ▁this ▁would ▁allow ▁it ▁to ▁more ▁efficiently ▁convert ▁bi om ass ▁into ▁m eth ane ▁gas ▁for ▁power ▁production . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 1 , ▁it ▁was ▁shown ▁that ▁most ▁m eth ane ▁produced ▁during ▁decomposition ▁at ▁land fill s ▁comes ▁from ▁M . ▁b ark eri . ▁ ▁The ▁research ers ▁found ▁that ▁the ▁micro be ▁can ▁surv ive ▁in ▁low ▁p H ▁environments ▁and ▁that ▁it ▁cons umes ▁acid , ▁thereby ▁raising ▁the ▁p H ▁and ▁allowing ▁a ▁wider ▁range ▁of ▁life ▁to ▁fl our ish . ▁ ▁They ▁argued ▁that ▁their ▁find ings ▁could ▁help ▁acceler ate ▁research ▁into ▁using ▁arch ae a - generated ▁m eth ane ▁as ▁an ▁alternate ▁power ▁source . ▁ ▁Notes ▁ ▁References ▁ ▁External ▁links ▁ ▁Put ting ▁Life ' s ▁P uzz le ▁T ogether ▁from ▁Ast ro bi ology ▁Magazine ▁( May ▁ 1 7 , ▁ 2 0 0 6 ) ▁M eth anos arc ina ▁from ▁The ▁Micro b ial ▁Bi ore alm ▁at ▁Ken