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Updated: Jun 25, 2025

A Whole Cell Bioreporter Approach to Assess Transport and Bioavailability of Organic Contaminants in Water Unsaturated Systems

A Whole Cell Bioreporter Approach to Assess Transport and Bioavailability of Organic Contaminants in Water Unsaturated Systems

Published on: December 24, 2014

The atmosphere: a transport medium or an active microbial ecosystem?

Rachael Lappan^1,2,3, Jordan Thakar⁴, Laura Molares Moncayo^5,6,7

¹Department of Microbiology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia.

The ISME Journal

|May 28, 2024

Summary

The atmosphere hosts a vast microbial ecosystem, but whether it transports or harbors resident life remains unclear. Further research and innovation are crucial to understand atmospheric microbes and their global impact.

Keywords:

Atmospheric microbiology aeromicrobiology bioaerosols low-biomass metabolic activity metagenomics microbial ecology

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Area of Science:

Microbiology
Atmospheric Science
Ecology

Background:

The atmosphere is a massive microbial ecosystem connecting Earth's surface environments.
Microbial dispersal occurs on local to global scales via atmospheric transport.
The atmosphere's role as a microbial habitat is poorly understood.

Purpose of the Study:

To review the current understanding of the atmosphere as a microbial habitat.
To identify key unresolved questions regarding microbial life in the atmosphere.
To highlight challenges and propose future research directions.

Main Methods:

Review of existing literature on atmospheric microbiology.
Analysis of challenges in studying microbial life in extreme environments.
Identification of knowledge gaps and research needs.

Main Results:

The atmosphere presents extreme conditions (temperature, pressure, etc.) challenging for life.
It is uncertain if the atmosphere merely transports microbes or supports resident communities.
Significant technical hurdles limit current research progress.

Conclusions:

The atmosphere is a potential extreme environment for active, resident microorganisms.
Innovations and technical standards are essential for advancing atmospheric microbiology.
Understanding atmospheric microbes is vital for global processes like climate and nutrient cycling.