A5060432628- Biocrusts and Microbial Ecology
- Planetary Science and Exploration
- Geology and Paleoclimatology Research
- Polar Research and Ecology
- Algal biology and biofuel production
- Space Exploration and Technology
- Lichen and fungal ecology
- Microbial Community Ecology and Physiology
- Microbial Metabolic Engineering and Bioproduction
- Paleontology and Stratigraphy of Fossils
- Building materials and conservation
- Pleistocene-Era Hominins and Archaeology
- Spaceflight effects on biology
- Metal Extraction and Bioleaching
- Photosynthetic Processes and Mechanisms
- Plant Water Relations and Carbon Dynamics
- Climate variability and models
- Mycorrhizal Fungi and Plant Interactions
- Aeolian processes and effects
- Nanoparticles: synthesis and applications
- Protist diversity and phylogeny
- Microbial Fuel Cells and Bioremediation
- Environmental and Cultural Studies in Latin America and Beyond
- Genomics and Phylogenetic Studies
- Marine and coastal plant biology
University of Tarapacá
2018-2024
Arturo Prat University
2009-2018
The Atacama Desert is by far the driest and oldest desert on Earth, showing a unique combination of environmental extremes (extreme dryness, highest UV radiation levels highly saline oxidizing soils), explaining why has been largely investigated as Mars analog model for almost 20 years. Based source amount water available life its analogy with Mars, two ecosystems are interest in Atacama: Coastal Range much drier hyperarid core, which we here review detail. Members three domains have found...
Abstract Identifying unequivocal signs of life on Mars is one the most important objectives for sending missions to red planet. Here we report Red Stone, a 163-100 My alluvial fan–fan delta that formed under arid conditions in Atacama Desert, rich hematite and mudstones containing clays such as vermiculite smectites, therefore geologically analogous Mars. We show Stone samples display an number microorganisms with unusual high rate phylogenetic indeterminacy, what refer “dark microbiome”,...
The hyperarid core of the Atacama Desert, driest and oldest desert on Earth, has experienced a number highly unusual rain events over past three years, resulting in formation previously unrecorded hypersaline lagoons, which have lasted several months. We systematically analyzed evolution lagoons to provide quantitative field constraints large-scale impacts rains local microbial communities. Here we show that sudden massive input water regions remained for millions years is harmful most...
Abstract Here we inspect whether microbial life may disperse using dust transported by wind in the Atacama Desert northern Chile, a well-known Mars analog model. By setting simple experiment across hyperarid core of found that number viable bacteria and fungi are fact able to traverse driest most UV irradiated desert on Earth unscathed wind-transported dust, particularly later afternoon hours. This finding suggests Mars, extant or past, have similarly benefited from aeolian transport move...
Abstract The modern Martian surface is unlikely to be habitable due its extreme aridity among other environmental factors. This the reason why hyperarid core of Atacama Desert has been studied as an analog for habitability Mars more than 50 years. Here we report a layer enriched in smectites located just 30 cm below Atacama. We discovered clay-rich wet (a phenomenon never observed before this region), keeping high and constant relative humidity 78% w 0.780), completely isolated from changing...
The Atacama Desert in Chile is the driest and oldest desert on Earth, also considered one of best Mars analog models. Here, several heterotrophic microbial communities have been discovered its regions, with ones present soil subsurface being most interesting due to existence a habitat almost no water available undetectable organic carbon sources. Our recent discovery site known date (and species that are able survive this site) reaffirms opportunity better characterize physiological...
Abstract Good knowledge of the environmental conditions deserts on Earth is relevant for climate studies. The Atacama Desert particular interest as it considered to be driest region Earth. We have performed simulations using Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model over two week‐long periods in austral winter season coincident with surface temperature relative humidity in‐situ observations at three sites. found that WRF generally overestimates daytime temperature, biases up 11°C, despite...
We have recently discovered a variety of unrelated phototrophic microorganisms (two microalgae and one cyanobacteria) in specialized terrestrial habitats at The Coastal Range the Atacama Desert. Interestingly, morphological molecular evidence suggest that these three species are all recent colonists came from aquatic habitats. first case is Cyanidiales inhabiting coastal caves. commonly found warm acid springs, but also been as cave flora Italy. Dunaliella biofilms colonizing spider webs...
The taxonomy of coccoid cyanobacteria, such as Chroococcidiopsis, Pleurocapsa, Chroococcus, Gloeothece, Gloeocapsa, Gloeocapsopsis, and the related recent genera Sinocapsa Aliterella, can easily be intermixed when solely compared on a morphological basis. There is still little support taxonomic position some addressed genera, genetic information available only for fraction species that have been described morphology. Modern polyphasic approaches combine classic investigations with DNA-based...
Abstract Lichenized fungi usually develop complex, stratified morphologies through an intricately balanced living together with their algal partners, but several species are known to form only more or less loose associations algae. These borderline lichens still little explored although they could inform us about early stages of lichen evolution. We studied the association extremely halotolerant fungus Hortaea werneckii alga Dunaliella atacamensis , discovered in a cave Atacama Desert...
Gloeocapsopsis dulcis strain AAB1 is an extremely xerotolerant cyanobacterium isolated from the Atacama Desert (i.e., driest and oldest desert on Earth) that holds astrobiological significance due to its ability biosynthesize compatible solutes at ultra-low water activities. We sequenced assembled G. genome de novo using a combination of long- short-read sequencing, which resulted in high-quality consensus sequences chromosome two plasmids. leveraged generate genome-scale metabolic model...
ABSTRACT Gloeocapsopsis sp. strain AAB1 is an extremely desiccation-tolerant cyanobacterium isolated from translucent quartz stones the Atacama Desert (Chile). Here, we report its draft genome sequence, which consists of 137 contigs with ∼5.4-Mb size. The annotation revealed 5,641 coding DNA sequences, 38 tRNA genes, and 5 rRNA genes.
Due to its extreme conditions, microbial life in the Atacama Desert is known survive well-protected micro-habitats (hypolithic, endolithic, etc.), but rarely directly exposed environment, that is, epilithic habitats. Here we report a unique site, La Portada, cliff confronting Pacific Ocean Coastal Range of this desert, which constant input water provided by sea spray allows for growth black-colored subaerial ecosystem. Formed complex community halophilic microorganisms belonging three...
Abstract Gloeocapsopsis dulcis strain AAB1 is an extremely xerotolerant cyanobacterium isolated from the Atacama Desert (i.e., driest and oldest desert on Earth) that holds astrobiological significance due to its surprising ability biosynthesize compatible solutes at ultra-low water activities. We sequenced assembled G. genome de novo using a combination of long- short-read sequencing, which resulted in high-quality consensus sequences chromosome two plasmids. leveraged generate genome-scale...