DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Living on the Edge: Biodiversity and Metabolic Potential of Microbial Communities in Salt Crusts of the Hyperarid Atacama Desert

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For decades, the hyperarid region of the Atacama Desert was considered to be the dry limit to life, too hostile to sustain any growth. However, microorganisms have recently been discovered colonizing salt crusts on the surface of soils. It is hypothesized that salt is the key to their survival because it is able to absorb moisture from the atmosphere and create a liquid solution in an otherwise totally dry environment. This project is the first in-depth examination of the microbial communities in this unique ecosystem, and is designed to achieve two objectives: 1) to analyze how microbial biodiversity is affected by water availability, and 2) to determine how small changes in the availability of water influence the metabolic potential of the microbial communities. This will be accomplished through the use of 16S rRNA gene sequencing, metagenomic analysis, and confocal laser scanning microscopy. This research examines how microbial biodiversity and metabolic potential vary with climate and moisture. The results will inform ecological theories that describe geographical patterns of life on earth. These theories are essential for proper management of ecosystems and for predicting biological response to global changes. Completion of the proposed research will also lay critical groundwork for future exploration of the desiccation and UV tolerance of the microorganisms, which is of great interest to a variety of fields including, biotechnology and renewable energy.