Staying Active in the Cold

Astrobiologists have provided new data about microorganisms that live in the permafrost of Antarctica’s Dry Valleys. Using molecular techniques alongside culturing, the team studied bacterial communities from Taylor Valley and identified psychrophiles, or organisms that are able to remain active at low temperatures. In the laboratory, bacteria collected from the Taylor Valley permafrost remained active down to −5 °C (with peak activity at 15 °C).

This work was supported by the Astrobiology Science & Technology for Exploring Planets (ASTEP) element of the NASA Astrobiology Program. The study, “Molecular characterization of bacteria from permafrost of the Taylor Valley, Antarctica,” was published in the journal FEMS Microbiology Ecology

Source: [FEMS Microbiology Ecology]