Metabolic processes and trophic interactions in Antarctic cryptoendolithic communities
EMSL Project ID
51548
Abstract
Cryptoendolithic communities are almost the only life-forms assuring ecosystem functionality in the Antarctic desert, among the harshest terrestrial environments and the Martian counterpart on Earth. Under environmental conditions that would be normally incompatible with active life, endolithic habitat provides thermal buffering, physical stability, and protection against incident UV radiation, excessive solar radiation and, in some extent, assures water retention. The study of such extremely adapted microbial ecosystems may give tools for understanding biological interactions and processes allowing them to keep their metabolic machinery running under conditions of oligotrophy and dryness up to the dry limits for life, which are normally incompatible with active life.
Recent metabarcoding and metagenomic studies are starting to build up a deep characterization of microbial diversity in Antarctic endolithic ecosystems; besides, the metabolic processes as carbon and nitrogen fixation and biotic interactions remain still unexplored. With this proposal, we aim to understanding metabolic processes in these rock-inhabiting communities after a proper reactivation (wetting, light, temperature). We also seek to focus on the rock structure, pore size and distribution and water flow capacity as well as develop a phylo-trophic map of microbial interactions in cryptoendolithic communities. The suite of capabilities available at EMSL (proteomics, metabolomics and imaging analysis) and JGI (metagenomics) laboratories will provide a global view of the mechanisms and pathways necessary for life to adapt and evolve in the extremes, and identify the metabolic pathways, proteins and metabolites which may represent key adaptations to the harshest conditions on Earth.
Data generated from this project will provide critical insights into the taxa that play key roles in endolithic ecosystem functions and in the sequestration of carbon and nitrogen and may be also applied to microbial endolithic ecosystems in drylands worldwide which, in an era of rapid Climate Change and expanding of desertification, is of special importance.
Project Details
Project type
FICUS Research
Start Date
2020-10-01
End Date
2022-09-30
Status
Closed
Released Data Link
Team
Principal Investigator
Co-Investigator(s)