Tracing the dispersal of extremophiles within geothermal aerosols in Iceland

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Geothermal springs in Iceland host unique microbial communities adapted for life under multiple extreme conditions, including high temperatures, extreme pH and nutrient limitations. The mechanisms controlling how these highly specialised extremophiles are dispersed and come to colonise fresh geothermal habitats are not well understood. This project will combine state-of-the-art bioaerosol sampling and monitoring approaches in the field with lab-based microbiology and geochemistry techniques to investigate the role of aerosols as a repository and transport mechanism for geothermal extemophiles.