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Microbial genesis, life and death in glacial ice
1Physics Department, University of California, Berkeley, CA94720, USA. bprice@berkeley.edu
Canadian Journal of Microbiology
|February 5, 2009
Summary
Life
Area of Science:
- Astrobiology
- Geochemistry
- Microbiology
Background:
- Terrestrial life's origins remain debated.
- Early Earth conditions may have been extreme, including widespread glaciation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the potential for life's origins and survival in ancient frozen environments.
- To model microbial adaptation and longevity in glacial ice and permafrost.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of microbial survival mechanisms in subzero temperatures.
- Modeling of DNA repair rates against damage from depurination, racemization, and radiation.
- Comparison of survival factors in glacial ice versus permafrost.
Main Results:
- Microbial life may have originated in frozen environments over 4 billion years ago.
- Survival in glacial ice is limited by nutrient availability, not radiation or lysis.
- Permafrost microbes face greater risks from alpha radiation, while long-term survival favors DNA-repairing vegetative cells over spore formers.
Conclusions:
- Frozen environments, particularly glacial ice, offer plausible habitats for the origin and long-term survival of early life.
- Microbial longevity in ice is governed by metabolic repair capabilities and nutrient access.
- Distinct survival challenges exist in glacial ice versus permafrost, influencing microbial persistence strategies.
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