Congratulations to Belinda Ferrari and her team whose article had been accepted by Nature in December 2017.
The research has found that microbes in Antarctica can scavenge hydrogen, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide from the air to stay alive in such extreme conditions, and this has implications for the search for life on other planets.
The article has also garnered international interest, read more about it here:
- https://newsroom.unsw.edu.au/news/science-tech/living-thin-air-microbe-mystery-solved
- https://cosmosmagazine.com/biology/air-eating-bacteria-found-in-antarctica
- http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/antarctic-alien-life-other-planets-possible-sustained-microbes-scientific-discovery-a8095411.html
- https://phys.org/news/2017-12-thin-airmicrobe-mystery.html
“Antarctica is one of the most extreme environments on Earth. Yet the cold, dark and dry desert regions are home to a surprisingly rich diversity of microbial communities.”
Image: Adam's Flat - A hyper arid sampling site. Image taken by the Australian Antarctic Division (AAD).