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Advances in the Microbiology of the Atacama Desert and its Connection with Astrobiology

Advances in the Microbiology of the Atacama Desert and its Connection with Astrobiology. Benito Gómez Silva Universidad de Antofagasta. THE ATACAMA DESERT 1,200 km from approximately 18 o S to 28 o S located between the Pacific coast and the Andes Mountains

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Advances in the Microbiology of the Atacama Desert and its Connection with Astrobiology

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  1. Advances in the Microbiology of the Atacama Desert and its Connection with Astrobiology Benito Gómez Silva Universidad de Antofagasta ASTROBIO 2010 - SANTIAGO, CHILE

  2. THE ATACAMA DESERT • 1,200 km from approximately 18oS to 28oS • located between the Pacific coast and the Andes Mountains • the oldest and driest desert on Earth • temperate hyperarid desert with mean annual temperature of 14–16 °C • long term mean annual rainfall as low as 2 millimeters at its driest core • increase in precipitation along the North-to-South latitude gradient • became arid nearly 150 million years • extreme aridity conditions for at least 10 – 15 million years ago • large natural ore-grade nitrate deposits from atmospheric deposition, due to absence of soil leaching and biological cycling. • Astrobiology 3, 393 (2003), Int. J. Climatol. 23, 1453 (2003), Geomorphology 73, 101 (2006), • Microbiology of Extreme Soils. Soil Biology 13. P Dion, CS Nautiyal, eds. Springer, 2008. ASTROBIO 2010 - SANTIAGO, CHILE

  3. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO THE ATACAMA ARIDITY: • a zonal effect due to the subtropical high pressure belt which generates conditions for a strong precipitation deficit, • a continentality effect due to the distance of Atacama to the Amazonia-Atlantic moisture source, • a rainshadow effect due to the proximity of the Andes Range which prevents moisture advection from the east by disrupting zonal circulation, (in addition; “fog shadow” effect of the high coastal crest-line) • the oceanic effect carried out by the cold north-flowing Humboldt Current that upwells along the Atacama coast and generates a constant temperature inversion that traps moisture below 800 m altitude • Astrobiology 3, 393 (2003) , Int. J. Climatol. 23, 1453 (2003), Atmospheric Res. 71, 127 (2004) • Microbiology of Extreme Soils. Soil Biology 13. P Dion, CS Nautiyal, eds. Springer, 2008., ASTROBIO 2010 - SANTIAGO, CHILE

  4. IS THERE MICROBIAL LIFE IN THE ATACAMA SOILS? If there is … What kind of microorganisms are at the Atacama? Abundance and diversity? Major environmental factor controlling life at the Atacama? ASTROBIO 2010 - SANTIAGO, CHILE

  5. “MARS-LIKE” SOILS AT THE HYPERARID CORE OF ATACAMA Very low levels of soil organic matter (0.02-0.04 mg of C/g soil; 100 x lower than Dry Valleys soils, Antarctica) None or very low levels of detectable soil bacteria (by culture or DNA amplification) Soils contain a nonchirally specific oxidizing agent that equally oxidizes amino acid and glucose enantiomers. Science 302, 1018 (2003) ASTROBIO 2010 - SANTIAGO, CHILE

  6. EVIDENCE OF MICROBIAL LIFE IN THE ATACAMA SOILS: Macroscopic and microscopicevidence: presence of microorganisms in hospitable habitats such as halites, quarzt, gypsum. Biomarkers: soil organic matter (biomolecules) and biological, chemical, and photochemicaldecompositionmechanisms. Microorganisms: culturedependent and independentmethods Science 302, 1018 (2003), Microb. Ecol. 52, 389 (2006), Astrobiology 4, 415 (2006) J. Geophys. Res., 112, G04S15, doi:10.1029/2006JG000305 (2007), J. Geophys. Res. 112, G02030, doi: 10.1029/2006JG000385 (2007), Proc. IV Int. Conference on Fog, Fog Collection and Dew, Santiago (2007), J. Geophys. Res. 113 doi:10.1029/2007JG000561 (2008), J. Photochem. Photobiol.B: Biology 90, 79 (2008) ASTROBIO 2010 - SANTIAGO, CHILE

  7. 1. SUITABLE NICHES FOR MICROBIAL COLONIZATION MUST BE: • an intercepting obstacle for water droplets deposition from incoming fog events • a surface for dew formation • a temperature-controlling environment • a filter to harmful solar UV radiation • translucent to PAR (photosynthetic active radiation) • J. Arid Environ. 65, 572 (2006) • Astrobiology: Emergence, Search and Detection of Life. V.A. Basiuk, ed., American Scientific Publishers, 2009. In press. ASTROBIO 2010 - SANTIAGO, CHILE

  8. Microorganisms in hospitable habitats from Atacama: hypolithic growth in quartz. Astrobiology: Emergence, Search and Detection of Life. V.A. Basiuk, ed., American Scientific Publishers, 2009. In press. ASTROBIO 2010 - SANTIAGO, CHILE

  9. Microorganisms in hospitable habitats from Atacama: growth of epilithic (A) and endolithic (B) cyanobacterial biofilms in halites. Astrobiology: Emergence, Search and Detection of Life. V.A. Basiuk, ed., American Scientific Publishers, 2009. In press. ASTROBIO 2010 - SANTIAGO, CHILE

  10. Microorganisms in hospitable habitats from Atacama: epi-endolithic growth of melanized meristematic fungus in halites. Astrobiology: Emergence, Search and Detection of Life. V.A. Basiuk, ed., American Scientific Publishers, 2009. In press. ASTROBIO 2010 - SANTIAGO, CHILE

  11. Microorganisms in hospitable habitats from Atacama: gypsum J. Geophys. Res. 112, G02030, doi: 10.1029/2006JG000385 (2007) ASTROBIO 2010 - SANTIAGO, CHILE

  12. 2. SOIL ORGANIC MATTER (SOM) AND BIOMOLECULES * From the authors: “Results advance the technology for laboratory and field analyses of samples from and in Mars-like sites. Detection limits: parts per trillion.” ASTROBIO 2010 - SANTIAGO, CHILE

  13. 3. MICROORGANISMS IN ATACAMA SOILS Large numbers and diversity of bacterial life at sites where water is available but, are there any bacteria at the hyperarid soils of Atacama? Where? How abundant? How diverse? Heterotrophic bacteria are present in the surface and subsurface soils of the hyperarid Atacama Desert in an ecological pattern of non-uniform distribution or patchiness. Science 302, 1018 (2003), Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 70, 5923 (2004), Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 72, 7902 (2006) Soil Biol. Biochem. 39, 704 (2007), J. Geophys. Res. 112, G04S17, doi:10.1029/2006JG000311 (2007) Int. J. Syst. Evol. Microbiol. 57, 1408 (2007), Microbiology of Extreme Soils. Soil Biology 13. P Dion, CS Nautiyal, eds. Springer, 2008., Astrobiology: Emergence, Search and Detection of Life. V.A. Basiuk, ed., American Scientific Publishers, 2009. In press. ASTROBIO 2010 - SANTIAGO, CHILE

  14. ABUNDANCE OF HETEROTROPHIC MICROORGANISMS FROM ATACAMA SOILS ASTROBIO 2010 - SANTIAGO, CHILE

  15. DIVERSITY OF HETEROTROPHIC MICROORGANISMS FROM ATACAMA SOILS ASTROBIO 2010 - SANTIAGO, CHILE

  16. LIFE IN ATACAMA: THE CYANOBACTERIAL FACTOR ASTROBIO 2010 - SANTIAGO, CHILE

  17. CYANOBACTERIA Unicellular or filamentous Gram-negative photosynthetic prokaryotes Key primary producers in a variety of habitats, including hot and cold deserts; particularly, under water stress conditions too limiting for most eukaryotic or prokaryotic life forms Free-living microorganisms forming biofilms in lithobiontic niches Symbiotic association in lichens (phycobionts) Endolithic, epilithic, hypolithic colonization ASTROBIO 2010 - SANTIAGO, CHILE

  18. CYANOBACTERIA-DOMINATED MICROBIAL CONSORTIA IN ATACAMA QUARTZ STUDY AREA AT AGUAS CALIENTES (25°18’S) ASTROBIO 2010 - SANTIAGO, CHILE

  19. ASTROBIO 2010 - SANTIAGO, CHILE

  20. FACTOR WITH MINOR OR NULL IMPACT ON PHOTOAUTOTROPHIC LIFE AT ATACAMA HABITAT AVAILABILITY TEMPERATURE SOIL TOXICITY AND pH CARBON INFLOW MAJOR ABIOTIC FACTORS AFFECTING LITHOBIONTIC LIFE AT ATACAMA SUNLIGHT MOISTURE ASTROBIO 2010 - SANTIAGO, CHILE

  21. HABITAT AVAILABILITY (North-to-South transect) Microb. Ecol. 52, 389 (2006) ASTROBIO 2010 - SANTIAGO, CHILE

  22. ASTROBIO 2010 - SANTIAGO, CHILE

  23. LIQUID WATER AVAILABILITY FOR CYANOBACTERIAL QUARTZ COLONIZATION (NORTH-TO-SOUTH TRANSECT) SOURCE OF LIQUID WATER RAIN FOG DEW Microb. Ecol. 52, 389 (2006) J. Geophys. Res., 112, G04S15, doi:10.1029/2006JG000305 (2007) ASTROBIO 2010 - SANTIAGO, CHILE

  24. EPS DESSICATION TOLERANCE: biosynthesis of exopolysaccharides (EPS) ASTROBIO 2010 - SANTIAGO, CHILE

  25. SOLAR AND UV RADIATION Annual average sunlight at the Atacama core: 335 Wm-2 Daily maximum over 1,000 Wm-2 Maximum values for PAR Yungay: 2.37 mmoles m-2 s-1 Salar Grande: 2.21 mmoles m-2 s-1 Quartz stones transmit from 0.08% to 1% of midday incident light (depending upon thickness and coloration). The lowest end of this intensity range is closer to or below the light compensation for photosynthesis of primary producers. ASTROBIO 2010 - SANTIAGO, CHILE

  26. J. Photochem. Photobiol. B: Biology 90, 79 (2008) ASTROBIO 2010 - SANTIAGO, CHILE

  27. MICROORGANISMS FROM ATACAMA STRATEGIES TO COPE WITH HIGH SOLAR UV RADIATION (UV-A: 315-400 nm; UV-B: 280-315 nm) *only in cyanobacteria; aprox. 300 species. ASTROBIO 2010 - SANTIAGO, CHILE

  28. ABSOPTION SPECTRUM OF CRUDE EXTRACT FROM CYANOBACTERIAL BIOFILMS ASTROBIO 2010 - SANTIAGO, CHILE

  29. HPLC CHROMATOGRAM OF SCYTONEMIN FROM TWO CYANOBACTERIAL BIOFILMS ASTROBIO 2010 - SANTIAGO, CHILE

  30. ABSORPTION SPECTRUM OF SCYTONEMIN AFTER PURIFICATION BY HPLC ASTROBIO 2010 - SANTIAGO, CHILE

  31. EPIILITHIC COLONIZATION ENDOLITHIC COLONIZATION ASTROBIO 2010 - SANTIAGO, CHILE

  32. Héctor Olivares, Universidad de Antofagasta, Chile Catherine Lizama, Universidad de Antofagasta, Chile Armando Azua, PUC, Chile Jacek Wierzchos, CCMA – CSIC, Spain Carlos González, UNAP, Chile E. Imre Friedmann, NASA, USA Chris McKay, AMES – NASA, USA Alfonso F Dávila, NASA, USA Fred A Rainey, Louisiana State University, USA Rafael Navarro-González, UNAM, México Klaus Dose, Johannes Gutemberg-Universität, Mainz, Germany Sergio Risi, Johannes Gutemberg-Universität, Mainz, Germany ASTROBIO 2010 - SANTIAGO, CHILE

  33. Dr. E. Imre Friedmann1921-2007 An ”extreme” microbiologist Microbial ecology of absolute extreme environments, astrobiology, experimental and molecular taxonomy of cyanobacteria. ASTROBIO 2010 - SANTIAGO, CHILE

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