Article
Microbiology
Richa Salwan, Vivek Sharma
Summary: Organisms surviving in extreme environments rely on genomic adaptations to withstand extreme environmental stresses, providing important clues for basic and applied research.
MICROBIOLOGICAL RESEARCH
(2022)
Review
Biophysics
Nozomi Ando, Blanca Barquera, Douglas H. Bartlett, Eric Boyd, Audrey A. Burnim, Amanda S. Byer, Daniel Colman, Richard E. Gillilan, Martin Gruebele, George Makhatadze, Catherine A. Royer, Everett Shock, A. Joshua Wand, Maxwell B. Watkins
Summary: Over the past decade, sampling and genomic efforts have revealed a vast quantity and diversity of life in Earth's extreme environments, presenting a challenge in understanding the molecular basis of life in such inhospitable conditions. This review discusses the physicochemical properties of extreme environments, recent progress in extreme environmental genomics, and the current understanding of biomolecular adaptation to extreme conditions, as well as the need for methodologies adapted to extreme conditions for studying extremophiles' biomolecular structure-function relationships. Possible future directions in extreme biophysics are briefly discussed.
ANNUAL REVIEW OF BIOPHYSICS, VOL 50, 2021
(2021)
Review
Ecology
Priya Priyadarshini, Pradeep Kumar Dubey, Ajeet Singh, Rajan Chaurasia, Purushothaman Chirakkuzhyil Abhilash
Summary: The Dasgupta Review highlights the importance of sustainable engagement with nature for sustaining livelihoods, and urges the integration of biodiversity into national accounting and science-based decision-making processes. Strengthening global biodiversity and ecosystem conservation efforts requires inclusive policies and behavioral changes at the individual level to better manage and utilize biodiversity.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Federico A. Vignale, Daniel Kurth, Agustina I. Lencina, Daniel G. Poire, Elizabeth Chihuailaf, Natalia C. Munoz-Herrera, Fernando Novoa, Manuel Contreras, Adrian G. Turjanski, Maria E. Farias
Summary: The Salar de Atacama in the Chilean Central Andes houses unique microbial ecosystems, characterized by extreme environmental conditions. Through various analytical techniques, twenty unexplored Andean microbial ecosystems were identified in different lakes and wetlands, revealing a diverse microbial community dominated by Bacteroidetes and Proteobacteria phyla, with key components such as diatoms contributing to the mineral precipitation process.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Yunha Hwang, Janina Rahlff, Dirk Schulze-Makuch, Michael Schloter, Alexander J. Probst
Summary: Viruses in Atacama Desert soils play essential roles in host-virus interactions, spreading stress resilience and metabolic genes to ensure host survival; the virus-host interactions are dynamic and complex, shaping uniquely adapted microbiomes in this highly selective and hostile environment.
Article
Ecology
Jianxun Shen, Adam J. Wyness, Mark W. Claire, Aubrey L. Zerkle
Summary: This study examined the variations in salts and microbial communities along a latitudinal aridity gradient of the Atacama Desert, as well as the reshuffling of microbiomes after a heavy rainfall event. The research shed light on the structure of xerotolerant, halotolerant, and radioresistant microbiomes and their response to changes in water availability from the hyperarid northern desert to the less arid southern transition region.
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Roberto Contreras-Diaz, Felipe S. Carevic, Liesbeth van den Brink
Summary: Chanar has been a significant plant for indigenous people in the Atacama Desert for thousands of years. The mitogenome of G. decorticans has undergone changes that enhance its adaptation to the extreme conditions of the desert. Comparative analysis reveals unique features of the mitogenome in terms of structure and function.
FRONTIERS IN GENETICS
(2023)
Article
Biology
Leo Delalandre, Pierre Gauzere, Wilfried Thuiller, Marc Cadotte, Nicolas Mouquet, David Mouillot, Francois Munoz, Pierre Denelle, Nicolas Loiseau, Xavier Morin, Cyrille Violle
Summary: This study investigates the impact of species with functional distinctiveness on ecosystem productivity. The findings suggest that under harsh environmental conditions, the loss of distinct species leads to a long-term decrease in ecosystem productivity. On the other hand, productivity is more dependent on ordinary species in milder environments.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Suhas Eswarappa Prameela, Tresa M. Pollock, Dierk Raabe, Marc Andre Meyers, Assel Aitkaliyeva, Kerri-Lee Chintersingh, Zachary C. Cordero, Lori Graham-Brady
Summary: This viewpoint article discusses the importance of materials for extreme environments, and presents insights from experts in different fields regarding the most exciting advances, opportunities, and bottlenecks.
NATURE REVIEWS MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Juan Castro-Severyn, Coral Pardo-Este, Katterinne N. Mendez, Jonathan Fortt, Sebastian Marquez, Franck Molina, Eduardo Castro-Nallar, Francisco Remonsellez, Claudia P. Saavedra
Summary: Microbial communities in extreme environments, such as Salar de Huasco in northern Chile, are highly diverse, with functional potential and taxonomic diversity showing differences. As the concentration of arsenic increases, the distribution and abundance of arsenic-related genes also increase. These findings suggest that highly specialized microbial communities in extreme environments have the potential to thrive under increasing levels of toxic elements.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Mirko Barbuto, Zahra Hamzavi-Zarghani, Michela Longhi, Alessio Monti, Davide Ramaccia, Stefano Vellucci, Alessandro Toscano, Filiberto Bilotti
Summary: So far, the environment has been seen as a limitation to communication systems, but recent research shows that it can be used as a new degree of freedom to enhance system performance. Intelligent surfaces, specifically metasurfaces, offer a promising solution for controlling electromagnetic wave propagation and have the potential to overcome detrimental effects in wireless communications.
IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON ANTENNAS AND PROPAGATION
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Lapo Ragionieri, Alvaro Zuniga-Reinoso, Marcel Blaeser, Reinhard Predel
Summary: This study conducted a comprehensive phylogenomic analysis of the tenebrionid fauna in the Atacama Desert using newly generated transcriptome data. The majority of Atacama genera were found to belong to three lineages typical of South America. However, the monophyly of several tenebrionid tribes was not supported by molecular data, indicating the necessity for a detailed systematic revision of these groups.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Andrea Paz, Leyla Hernandez, Lilian S. O. Melo, Mariana Lyra, Celio F. B. Haddad, Ana C. Carnaval
Summary: This study investigates the role of environmental filtering and biotic interactions in shaping the communities of tree frogs in the Atlantic Forest of Brazil. The researchers find that functional richness is high along the forest, potentially driven by niche partitioning, while environmental filtering becomes more important in extreme environments. Trait overdispersion is found in areas of vegetation contact or adjacent biomes. Considering multiple dimensions of biodiversity and environmental variation provides a more comprehensive understanding of amphibian community assembly.
Article
Microbiology
Lulit Tilahun, Asfawossen Asrat, Gary M. Wessel, Addis Simachew
Summary: The acid ponds in the Danakil Depression of northern Ethiopia are extreme environments with unique gene functions in nitrogen metabolism. Metagenomic analysis revealed a high abundance of bacteria, particularly in the Proteobacteria phylum, with significant nitrogen fixation capabilities in response to the hypersaline and highly acidic conditions.
ARCHIVES OF MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Microbiology
Sophie L. Nixon, Emily Bonsall, Charles S. Cockell
Summary: Microbial iron reduction is a widespread and ancient metabolism that could potentially support microbial life on other planets. However, the exact limits of this metabolism are still not well understood. In this study, the authors investigated the limits of microbial iron reduction in different pH and temperature conditions. They found that microbial iron reduction is often observed at extremes of pH or temperature alone, but not when these extremes are combined. The results provide insights into the limits of microbial iron reduction and have implications for our understanding of the range of conditions that can support life.
FEMS MICROBIOLOGY REVIEWS
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Gherman Uritskiy, Samantha Getsin, Adam Munn, Benito Gomez-Silva, Alfonso Davila, Brian Glass, James Taylor, Jocelyne DiRuggiero
Article
Microbiology
Benito Gomez-Silva, Claudia Vilo-Munoz, Alexandra Galetovic, Qunfeng Dong, Hugo G. Castelan-Sanchez, Yordanis Perez-Llano, Maria del Rayo Sanchez-Carbente, Sonia Davila-Ramos, Nohemi Gabriela Cortes-Lopez, Liliana Martinez-Avila, Alan D. W. Dobson, Ramon Alberto Batista-Garcia
Article
Microbiology
Nataly Flores, Sebastian Hoyos, Mauricio Venegas, Alexandra Galetovic, Lidia M. Zuniga, Francisca Fabrega, Bernardo Paredes, Camila Salazar-Ardiles, Claudia Vilo, Carmen Ascaso, Jacek Wierzchos, Virginia Souza-Egipsy, Jorge E. Araya, Ramon Alberto Batista-Garcia, Benito Gomez-Silva
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Alexandra Galetovic, Francisca Seura, Valeska Gallardo, Rocio Graves, Juan Cortes, Carolina Valdivia, Javier Nunez, Claudia Tapia, Ivan Neira, Sigrid Sanzana, Benito Gomez-Silva
Article
Microbiology
Camila Salazar-Ardiles, Tamara Caimanque, Alexandra Galetovic, Claudia Vilo, Jorge E. Araya, Nataly Flores, Benito Gomez-Silva
Article
Food Science & Technology
Alexandra Galetovic, Joana Azevedo, Raquel Castelo-Branco, Flavio Oliveira, Benito Gomez-Silva, Vitor Vasconcelos
Article
Developmental Biology
Lidia M. Zuniga, Juan-Carlos Andrade, Francisca Fabrega-Gueren, Pedro A. Orihuela, Ethel V. Velasquez, Elena A. Vidal, Rodrigo A. Gutierrez, Patricio Morales, Benito Gomez-Silva, Horacio B. Croxatto
Summary: The transcriptional response triggered by mating in the rat endosalpinx is mediated by TNF and RA, regulating a cohort of genes involved in 'cell-to-cell signalling and interactions'. These signaling molecules play a crucial role in sustaining events that occur in the mammalian oviduct early after mating.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Luis Caceres, Yohana Frez, Felipe Galleguillos, Alvaro Soliz, Benito Gomez-Silva, Jorge Borquez
Summary: The experiment demonstrates that the aqueous extracts of Skytanthus acutus Meyen leaves have high corrosion inhibitory activity, with the best preparation temperature at 55 degrees Celsius, reaching up to 90% inhibition efficiency under different doses.
Article
Microbiology
Claudia Vilo, Qunfeng Dong, Alexandra Galetovic, Benito Gomez-Silva
Summary: The microbiome of edible Llayta, macrocolonies of cyanobacterial found in Andean wetlands, has been explored through a culture-independent approach. The study identified and reconstructed the metagenomic genome of Cyanocohniella sp. LLY associated with Llayta trichomes. This is the first genome available for members of this genus and provides new insights into their metabolic capabilities.
Article
Microbiology
Camila Salazar-Ardiles, Alexander Perez-Arancibia, Leyla Asserella-Rebollo, Benito Gomez-Silva
Summary: Significant knowledge has been gained about the microbiome in the hyperarid Atacama Desert, but information on the Atacama free-living amoebae (FLA) is limited and more efforts are needed. The dominant presence of Acanthamoeba genus has been reported in water and sediment samples from the Loa and Salado rivers in northern Chile, indicating the need for further exploration of Atacama amoebae in other wetlands in the region.
Article
Microbiology
Gabriela Orellana, Benito Gomez-Silva, Milton Urrutia, Alexandra Galetovic
Article
Microbiology
Claudia Vilo, Camila Salazar-Ardiles, Tamara N. Caimanque, Qunfeng Dong, Nataly Flores, Alexandra Galetovic, Jorge E. Araya, Benito Gomez-Silva
MICROBIOLOGY RESOURCE ANNOUNCEMENTS
(2019)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Mailing Rivera, Alexandra Galetovic, Romina Licuime, Benito Gomez-Silva
Meeting Abstract
Chemistry, Medicinal
Graciliana Lopes, Marco Preto, Alexandra Galetovic, Benito Gomez-Silva, Joana Martins, Ralph Urbatzka, Vitor Vasconcelos
