Microorganisms in cold ecosystems play a key ecological role in their natural habitats. Since
these ecosystems are especially sensitive to climate changes, as indicated by the worldwide …

Scientists use the Earth as a tool for astrobiology by analyzing planetary field analogues (ie
terrestrial samples and field sites that resemble planetary bodies in our Solar System). In …

Abstract Background The Antarctic continent is considered the coldest and driest place on
earth with simple ecosystems, devoid of higher plants. Soils in the ice-free regions of …

While grounded in the hard sciences of physics, chemistry, geology, and astronomy, as well
as well-accepted principles in the life sciences, astrobiology remains the most speculative of …

Return of samples from the surface of Mars has been a goal of the international Mars
science community for many years. Affirmation by NASA and ESA of the importance of Mars …

Significant progress is being made in the development of the next generation of low cost life
detection instrumentation with much smaller size, mass and energy requirements. Here, we …

Uncultured microorganisms comprise most of the microbial diversity existing on our planet.
Despite advances in environmental sequencing and single-cell genomics, in-depth studies …

The permafrost soils of the high elevation McMurdo Dry Valleys are the most cold,
desiccating and oligotrophic on Earth. Rhodococcus sp. JG3 is one of very few bacterial …

The novel extremophilic yeast Rhodotorula frigidialcoholis, formerly R. JG1b, was isolated
from ice-cemented permafrost in University Valley (Antarctic), one of coldest and driest …

Arid environments are defined by the lack of water availability, which is directly related to the
mean annual precipitation (MAP), and high values of solar irradiation, which impacts the …