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Endolithic microbial habitats as refuges for life in polyextreme environment of the Atacama Desert
Jacek Wierzchos1, M Cristina Casero1, Octavio Artieda2
1Department Biogeoquímica y Ecología Microbiana Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC c/ Serrano 115 dpdo, 28006 Madrid, Spain.
Abstract:
The extremely harsh conditions of hyperarid deserts are a true challenge for microbial life. Microorganisms thriving in such polyextreme environments are fascinating as they can tell us more about life, its strategies and its boundaries than other groups of organisms. The Atacama Desert (North Chile) holds two world records of extreme environmental characteristics: the lowest rainfall and greatest surface ultraviolet radiation and total solar irradiance ever measured on Earth. Despite these limiting conditions for life, we recently identified several remarkable examples of endolithic habitats colonized by phototrophic and heterotrophic microorganisms in the hyperarid core of the Atacama Desert.
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