Traces of microbial life and activity in Arctic endolithic habitats

北极内石器（居住在岩石中的）微生物群落是生物学和地质学之间的关键界面，但它们的多样性、分布和代谢能力仍未被广泛探索。北极对气候变化的敏感性使得了解微生物与环境条件之间的相互作用以预测未来的生态变化变得尤为重要。此外，内石器群落对我们理解极端环境下的生命参数至关重要。尽管温度低于零度，营养物质短缺，缺乏液态水，这些“微生物岛”在半透明的岩石表面下茁壮成长，在那里他们受到北极恶劣条件的保护。然而，人们对北极地区这些群落的多样性和生态知之甚少。因此，该博士项目的目的有两个方面：1)表征北极内生石器栖息地中存在的微生物群落的组成和功能适应，2)利用新的成像和光谱方法来研究与这些微生物群落相关的微生物-矿物相互作用和生物特征。该项目将涉及一个包括自然历史博物馆和伦敦纳米技术中心在内的多学科团队的合作，解决有关极端生命的关键跨学科问题，以及在地球地质记录中寻找过去生命所需的策略，可能在太阳系的其他地方。

Arctic endolithic (rock-dwelling) microbial communities are a key interface between biology and geology, yet their diversity, distribution, and metabolic capabilities remains vastly unexplored. The Arctic's sensitivity to changes in climate makes it especially imperative to understand the interactions between microorganisms and environmental conditions to enable the prediction of future ecological changes. Furthermore, endolithic communities are vital for our understanding of the parameters for life in extreme environments. Despite subzero temperatures, nutrient shortage, and a lack of liquid water, these "islands of microbial life" thrive beneath the surface of translucent rocks, where they are protected from the harsh conditions of the Arctic. However, little is known about the diversity and ecology of such communities in the Arctic. The aims of this PhD project are therefore two-fold: 1) to characterise the composition and functional adaptations of microbial communities present in Arctic endolithic habitats, and 2) to utilise novel imaging and spectroscopy methods to investigate microbe-mineral interactions and biosignatures associated with these microbial communities. This project will involve collaboration within a multidisciplinary team including the Natural History Museum and the London Centre for Nanotechnology, addressing key cross-disciplinary questions about life in extremes and the strategies needed to search for past life in the geological record on Earth, and potentially elsewhere in the Solar System.