scholarly journals Novel water source for endolithic life in the hyperarid core of the Atacama Desert

2012 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 2275-2286 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Wierzchos ◽  
A. F. Davila ◽  
I. M. Sánchez-Almazo ◽  
M. Hajnos ◽  
R. Swieboda ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Liquid Water ◽  
Capillary Condensation ◽  
Extreme Environments ◽  
Atacama Desert ◽  
Water Source ◽  
Life Forms ◽  
Alternative Source ◽  
Biological Adaptation ◽  
Salt Flats ◽  
Life On Earth

Abstract. The hyperarid core of the Atacama Desert, Chile, is possibly the driest and most life-limited place on Earth, yet endolithic microorganisms thrive inside halite pinnacles that are part of ancient salt flats. The existence of this microbial community in an environment that excludes any other life forms suggests biological adaptation to high salinity and desiccation stress, and indicates an alternative source of water for life other than rainfall, fog or dew. Here, we show that halite endoliths obtain liquid water through spontaneous capillary condensation at relative humidity (RH) much lower than the deliquescence RH of NaCl. We describe how this condensation could occur inside nano-pores smaller than 100 nm, in a newly characterized halite phase that is intimately associated with the endolithic aggregates. This nano-porous phase helps retain liquid water for long periods of time by preventing its evaporation even in conditions of utmost dryness. Our results explain how life has colonized and adapted to one of the most extreme environments on our planet, expanding the water activity envelope for life on Earth, and broadening the spectrum of possible habitats for life beyond our planet.

scholarly journals Novel water source for endolithic life in the hyperarid core of the Atacama Desert

2012 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 3071-3098 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Wierzchos ◽  
A. F. Davila ◽  
I. M. Sánchez-Almazo ◽  
M. Hajnos ◽  
R. Swieboda ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Liquid Water ◽  
Capillary Condensation ◽  
Extreme Environments ◽  
Atacama Desert ◽  
Water Source ◽  
Life Forms ◽  
Alternative Source ◽  
Biological Adaptation ◽  
Salt Flats ◽  
Life On Earth

Abstract. The hyperarid core of the Atacama Desert, Chile, is possibly the driest and most abiotic place on Earth, yet endolithic microorganisms thrive inside halite pinnacles that are part of ancient salt flats. The existence of this microbial community in an environment that excludes any other life forms suggests biological adaptation to high salinity and desiccation stress, and indicates an alternative source of water for life other than rainfall, fog or dew. Here we show that halite endoliths obtain liquid water through spontaneous capillary condensation at relative humidity (RH) much lower than the deliquescence RH of NaCl. We describe how this condensation occurs inside nano-pores smaller than 100 nm, in a newly identified halite phase that is intimately associated with the endolithic aggregates. This nano-porous phase helps retain liquid water for long periods of time by preventing its evaporation even in conditions of utmost dryness. Our results explain how life has colonized and adapted to one of the most extreme environments on our planet, expanding the water activity envelope for life on Earth, and broadening the spectrum of possible habitats for life beyond our planet.

scholarly journals A Multidisciplinary Evaluation of Spatial Heterogeneity in the Puquios of the Salar de Llamara, Atacama Desert, Northern Chile

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Pamela Reid ◽  
Amanda Oehlert ◽  
Erica Suosaari ◽  
Cecilia Demergasso ◽  
Guillermo Chong ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Heterogeneity ◽  
Extreme Environments ◽  
Atacama Desert ◽  
Shallow Groundwater ◽  
Field Studies ◽  
Extreme Environment ◽  
Surface Expression ◽  
Northern Chile ◽  
Mineral Deposition ◽  
Salt Flats

Abstract The Atacama Desert, Central Andes of Northern Chile, is an extreme environment characterized by high UV radiation, wide temperature variation, minimum precipitation and is reputed as the driest desert in the world. Scarce lagoons associated with salt flats (salars) in this desert are the surface expression of shallow groundwater which serve as refugia for life, and often host microbial communities associated with evaporitic mineral deposition. Recent investigations of the Puquios of the Salar de Llamara in the Atacama Desert based on multidisciplinary field studies provide unprecedented detail regarding the spatial heterogeneity of physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of such saline lake environments. Four main lagoons (‘Puquios’) and more than 400 smaller ponds, occur in an area less than 5 km2, are characterized by high variability in electrical conductivity, benthic and planktonic biota and microbiota, lagoon bottom type, and style of mineral deposition. The heterogeneity of system parameters as observed spatially in the Puquios is likely to be expanded with temporal observations incorporating seasonality. Results provide new insight into the complexity of these Andean ecosystems, which may be key to resilience in extreme environments at the edge of habitability.

scholarly journals Electrical conductivity as a driver of biological and geological spatial heterogeneity in the Puquios, Salar de Llamara, Atacama Desert, Chile

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
R. P. Reid ◽  
A. M. Oehlert ◽  
E. P. Suosaari ◽  
C. Demergasso ◽  
G. Chong ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Electrical Conductivity ◽  
Spatial Heterogeneity ◽  
Extreme Environments ◽  
Atacama Desert ◽  
Shallow Groundwater ◽  
Austral Summer ◽  
Extreme Environment ◽  
Surface Expression ◽  
Mineral Deposition ◽  
Salt Flats

AbstractReputed to be the driest desert in the world, the Atacama Desert in the Central Andes of Northern Chile is an extreme environment with high UV radiation, wide temperature variation, and minimum precipitation. Scarce lagoons associated with salt flats (salars) in this desert are the surface expression of shallow groundwater; these ponds serve as refugia for life and often host microbial communities associated with evaporitic mineral deposition. Results based on multidisciplinary field campaigns and associated laboratory examination of samples collected from the Puquios of the Salar de Llamara in the Atacama Desert during austral summer provide unprecedented detail regarding the spatial heterogeneity of physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of these salar environments. Four main lagoons (‘Puquios’) and more than 400 smaller ponds occur within an area less than 5 km2, and are characterized by high variability in electrical conductivity, benthic and planktonic biota, microbiota, lagoon bottom type, and style of mineral deposition. Results suggest that electrical conductivity is a driving force of system heterogeneity. Such spatial heterogeneity within the Puquios is likely to be expanded with temporal observations incorporating expected seasonal changes in electrical conductivity. The complexity of these Andean ecosystems may be key to their ability to persist in extreme environments at the edge of habitability.

scholarly journals EVALUATION OF ANTIMICROBIAL AND ANTIPROLIFERATIVE ACTIVITIES OF ACTINOBACTERIA ISOLATED FROM THE SALINE LAGOONS OF NORTHWEST PERU

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rene Flores Clavo ◽  
Nataly Ruiz Quiñones ◽  
Álvaro Tasca Hernandez ◽  
Ana Lucia Tasca Gois Ruiz ◽  
Lucia Elaine de Oliveira Braga ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Antibacterial Activity ◽  
Antiproliferative Activity ◽  
Extreme Environments ◽  
Extreme Environment ◽  
Small Cells ◽  
E Coli ◽  
The North ◽  
Salt Flats ◽  
Multiple Drugs ◽  
Antiproliferative Activities

AbstractThe unexplored saline lagoons of the north of Peru harbor a rich microbiome, due to reported studies of different extreme environments around the world. In these regions, there are several ecosystems and microhabitats not yet explored, and little is known about the diversity of actinobacteria and other microorganisms. We suggest that the endemic bacteria present in this extreme environment could be source of active molecules with anticancer, antimicrobial, antiparasitic properties. Using phenotypic and genotypic characterization techniques including the 16S rRNA were identified into the genera Streptomyces 39 (78%), Pseudonocardia 3 (6%), Staphylococcus 4 (8%), Bacillus 2 (4%), and Pseudomonas 2 (4%). All isolated bacteria for the genotypic data were preliminarily identified. Actinobacteria strains were found dominantly in both sites (Lagoon1-3 = 16 isolates and lagoon 4 = 12 isolates). Phylogenetic analysis revealed that 28 isolates were exclusively affiliated to eleven different clusters of Actinobacteria of the major genus Streptomyces. Three Streptomyces sp. strains M-92, B-146, and B-81, were tested for antibacterial and antiproliferative activities. The results showed antiproliferative activities against three tumor cell lines, U251 glioma; MCF7 breast; NCI-H460 lung non-small type of cells, and the antibacterial activity to Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 6538, E. coli ATCC 10536, and Acinetobacter baumanni AC-972 which is resistant to multiple drugs. The promising results belong to Streptomyces sp. B-81 strain in the R2A medium using a doxorubicin with control positive, the best result was from the latter (TGI = 0,57 µg/mL) for glioma; NCI-H460 lung of type non-small cells (TGI = 0,61 µg/mL), and breast cancer (TGI =0,80 µg/mL), this strain was selected to be fractionated because it had better antiproliferative and antibacterial activity, and its fractions were evaluated concerning antiproliferative activity against nine types of tumor cells and one non-tumor. The methanolic fraction showed a better result in the antiproliferative activity and was able to inhibit U251 (glioma) (TGI = 38.3 µg/mL), OVCAR-03 (ovary) (TGI = 62.1 µg/mL), and K562 (leukemia) (TGI = 81.5 µg/mL). The methanol 50% - acetate 50% fraction (Fraction 4) inhibited U251 (glioma) (TGI = 73.5 µg/mL) and UACC-62 (melanoma) (TGI = 89.4 µg/mL). Moreover, the UHPLC-MS/MS data and molecular networking of Streptomyces sp. B-81 isolate extract revealed the production cholic acid, Lobophorin A, Lobophorin B, Lobophorin E, Lobophorin K and compound 6. Extremophilic environments such as the Mórrope and Bayovar Salt Flats are promising sources of new bacteria with promising pharmaceutical potential; These compounds could be useful to treat various infectious diseases or even some type of cancer.

scholarly journals From cosmos to intelligent life: the four ages of astrobiology

2012 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 345-350 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcelo Gleiser
Keyword(s):  
Chemical Elements ◽  
Life Forms ◽  
Big Bang ◽  
Self Awareness ◽  
First Stars ◽  
History Of ◽  
Life On Earth ◽  
The Big Bang ◽  
The Universe ◽  
Intelligent Life

AbstractThe history of life on Earth and in other potential life-bearing planetary platforms is deeply linked to the history of the Universe. Since life, as we know, relies on chemical elements forged in dying heavy stars, the Universe needs to be old enough for stars to form and evolve. The current cosmological theory indicates that the Universe is 13.7 ± 0.13 billion years old and that the first stars formed hundreds of millions of years after the Big Bang. At least some stars formed with stable planetary systems wherein a set of biochemical reactions leading to life could have taken place. In this paper, I argue that we can divide cosmological history into four ages, from the Big Bang to intelligent life. The physical age describes the origin of the Universe, of matter, of cosmic nucleosynthesis, as well as the formation of the first stars and Galaxies. The chemical age began when heavy stars provided the raw ingredients for life through stellar nucleosynthesis and describes how heavier chemical elements collected in nascent planets and Moons gave rise to prebiotic biomolecules. The biological age describes the origin of early life, its evolution through Darwinian natural selection and the emergence of complex multicellular life forms. Finally, the cognitive age describes how complex life evolved into intelligent life capable of self-awareness and of developing technology through the directed manipulation of energy and materials. I conclude discussing whether we are the rule or the exception.

scholarly journals Iron Ion Particle Radiation Resistance of Dried Colonies of Cryomyces antarcticus Embedded in Martian Regolith Analogues

Life ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 306
Author(s):  
Lorenzo Aureli ◽  
Claudia Pacelli ◽  
Alessia Cassaro ◽  
Akira Fujimori ◽  
Ralf Moeller ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Extreme Environments ◽  
Life Forms ◽  
Culture Collection ◽  
Dna Integrity ◽  
Martian Surface ◽  
Particle Radiation ◽  
Shallow Subsurface ◽  
Subsurface Environments ◽  
High Doses ◽  
Martian Regolith

Among the celestial bodies in the Solar System, Mars currently represents the main target for the search for life beyond Earth. However, its surface is constantly exposed to high doses of cosmic rays (CRs) that may pose a threat to any biological system. For this reason, investigations into the limits of resistance of life to space relevant radiation is fundamental to speculate on the chance of finding extraterrestrial organisms on Mars. In the present work, as part of the STARLIFE project, the responses of dried colonies of the black fungus Cryomyces antarcticus Culture Collection of Fungi from Extreme Environments (CCFEE) 515 to the exposure to accelerated iron (LET: 200 keV/μm) ions, which mimic part of CRs spectrum, were investigated. Samples were exposed to the iron ions up to 1000 Gy in the presence of Martian regolith analogues. Our results showed an extraordinary resistance of the fungus in terms of survival, recovery of metabolic activity and DNA integrity. These experiments give new insights into the survival probability of possible terrestrial-like life forms on the present or past Martian surface and shallow subsurface environments.

scholarly journals A Case Study on Fog/Low Stratus Occurrence at Las Lomitas, Atacama Desert (Chile) as a Water Source for Biological Soil Crusts

2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 254-269 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lukas W. Lehnert ◽  
Boris Thies ◽  
Katja Trachte ◽  
Sebastian Achilles ◽  
Pablo Osses ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Atacama Desert ◽  
Water Source ◽  
Biological Soil Crusts ◽  
Soil Crusts

scholarly journals Data Analyses and new Findings Indicate a Primordial Neurotropic Pathogen Evolved into Infectious Causes of Several CNS Neurodegenerative Diseases

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
William J. Todd ◽  
Lidiya Dubytska ◽  
Peter J. Mottram ◽  
Xiaochu Wu ◽  
Yuliya Y. Sokolova
Keyword(s):  
Prion Diseases ◽  
Extreme Environments ◽  
Life Forms ◽  
Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies ◽  
Emerging Infections ◽  
Spongiform Encephalopathies ◽  
Cytopathic Effects ◽  
Selective Pressures ◽  
New Findings ◽  
Research Resources

AbstractThe extraordinary genetic flexibility of microorganisms enables their evolution into diverse forms expressing unanticipated structures and functions. Typically, they evolve in response to selective pressures of challenging niches, enabling their evolution and survival in extreme environments wherein life forms were not thought to exist. Approaching the problem of persistent neurodegenerative CNS infections as a challenging niche for pathogen evolution led to uncovering microorganisms which expand concepts of microbial diversity. These organisms are proposed as hybrid pathogens. They express two separate sets of structures and functions: viruslike properties when intracellular, and yet also reproduce as unique prokaryotes when outside the host. Their recovery opens new opportunities to comprehend the remarkable diversity of pathogens and elucidate etiologies of unresolved CNS neurodegenerative infections. Cells infected with these agents produce virus-like particles, inclusions and cytopathic effects consistent with biopsy studies of multiple sclerosis (MS), the α-synucleinopathies, and the transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSE) or prion diseases. The principle agents described were recovered from sheep with scrapie and are available via the Biodefense and Emerging Infections Research Resources Repository. Comparative studies with SMCA, a tick isolate inducing neurodegeneration in lab animal models, are included as supportive evidence.

scholarly journals The salt flats fighter: agonistic survival of Liolaemus fabiani in the Salar de Atacama

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yery Marambio-Alfaro ◽  
Gabriel Álvarez ◽  
Marcos Cortés Araya ◽  
Antonio E. Serrano
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Conditions ◽  
Food Supply ◽  
Atacama Desert ◽  
Primary Source ◽  
Territorial Behavior ◽  
Northern Chile ◽  
Salt Flats ◽  
Natural Sense ◽  
Winner Take All ◽  
Take All

Liolaemus fabiani is a lizard that lives in the Salar de Atacama, located in the center of the Atacama Desert, northern Chile, one of the driest places on the planet. Likely due to the extreme environmental conditions of their habitat, L. fabiani has colonized all watercourse shores of the Puilar pond where the primary source of food, flies, are confined. By ‘owning’ these shores, they can retain resources, explaining their natural sense of territory and their world-renowned aggressive territorial behavior. From the perspective of the lizard, the battlefield is a narrow stretch between mountains of halite salt and the water, which leads to a winner-take-all type territory. The winning lizard is rewarded with control of the food supply, access to females and a privileged space to survive. This modern gladiator faces his opponent with an unmatched ferocity, although there are rarely, if ever, deaths between the contenders. Like other vertebrates, the defense of the territory is a cooperative job with the alpha female. She releases pheromone compounds, conferring an advantage to her partner to proceed ruthlessly to attack the intruder, on land or in water, in order to obtain victory. The victorious lizard gains ownership of the land, leaving no doubts of his claim to other would-be challengers.

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