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Microbial respiration in ice at subzero temperatures (-4°C to -33°C)
Corien Bakermans1, Mark Skidmore
1Department of Earth Sciences, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA.
Environmental Microbiology Reports
|June 14, 2013
Summary
Microbial life persists in icy Antarctic environments. Bacteria actively respired nutrients in laboratory ice, suggesting basal ice habitats support active microbial communities despite extreme cold.
Area of Science:
- Astrobiology and Geomicrobiology
- Cryosphere microbial ecology
Background:
- Icy environments present challenges to habitability, including low temperatures, nutrient scarcity, and physical ice constraints.
- Sediments within basal ice of glaciers and ice sheets offer a potential nutrient source for microbial life.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify microbial respiration and active cell populations of Antarctic glacial bacteria in laboratory ice.
- To assess bacterial metabolic activity and survival under sub-freezing temperatures (-4°C to -33°C) with abundant nutrients.
Main Methods:
- Laboratory experiments using Antarctic glacial isolates (Paenisporosarcina sp. B5 and Chryseobacterium sp. V3519-10) in polycrystalline ice.
- Quantification of microbial respiration and active cell populations using culturability, CTC reduction, and LIVE/DEAD staining.
- Metabolic activity assessment at temperatures ranging from -4°C to -33°C.
Main Results:
- Bacteria exhibited initial high metabolic rates followed by sustained lower rates, indicative of maintenance or dormancy.
- Metabolism was supported by viable cells across all tested temperatures.
- Active respiration of acetate was observed in polycrystalline ice, even at low temperatures and within the ice matrix.
Conclusions:
- Antarctic glacial bacteria can actively respire acetate in nutrient-rich laboratory ice under sub-freezing conditions.
- Debris-rich basal ice, existing just below freezing point, represents a significant potential habitat for metabolically active microbial communities in ice sheets.
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