Examinando por Autor "Davila, Alfonso F."

Mostrando 1 - 2 de 2

Acceso Abierto
Astrobiology of life on Earth
(Society for Applied Microbiology, 2021-04-05) Hallsworth, J. E.; Mancinelli, R. L.; Conley, C. A.; Dallas, T. D.; Rinaldi, T.; Davila, Alfonso F.; Benison, K. C.; Rapoport, A.; Cavalazzi, B.; Selbmann, Laura; Changela, H.; Westall, Frances; Yakimov, M. M.; Amils Pibernat, R.; Madigan, M. T.; Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC); Hallsworth, J. E. [0000-0001-6797-9362]; Mancinelli, R. L. [0000-0002-8200-4878]; Dallas, T. D. [0000-0002-5310-9857]; Rinaldi, T. [0000-0001-6291-245X]; Benison, K. C. [0000-0001-6104-2333]; Rapoport, A. [0000-0002-6185-0039]; Selbmann, L. [0000-0002-8967-3329]; Amils, R. [0000-0002-7560-1033]
Astrobiology is mistakenly regarded by some as a field confined to studies of life beyond Earth. Here, we consider life on Earth through an astrobiological lens. Whereas classical studies of microbiology historically focused on various anthropocentric sub-fields (such as fermented foods or commensals and pathogens of crop plants, livestock and humans), addressing key biological questions via astrobiological approaches can further our understanding of all life on Earth. We highlight potential implications of this approach through the articles in this Environmental Microbiology special issue ‘Ecophysiology of Extremophiles’. They report on the microbiology of places/processes including low-temperature environments and chemically diverse saline- and hypersaline habitats; aspects of sulphur metabolism in hypersaline lakes, dysoxic marine waters, and thermal acidic springs; biology of extremophile viruses; the survival of terrestrial extremophiles on the surface of Mars; biological soils crusts and rock-associated microbes of deserts; subsurface and deep biosphere, including a salticle formed within Triassic halite; and interactions of microbes with igneous and sedimentary rocks. These studies, some of which we highlight here, contribute to our understanding of the spatiotemporal reach of Earth'sfunctional biosphere, and the tenacity of terrestrial life. Their findings will help set the stage for future work focused on the constraints for life, and how organisms adapt and evolve to circumvent these constraints.
Acceso Abierto
Microbial biogeography along a 2578 km transect on the East Antarctic Plateau
(Springer Nature, 2025-01) Parro, Víctor; Lezcano Vega, María Ángeles; Moreno Paz, Mercedes; Davila, Alfonso F.; Azua-Bustos, Armando; García Villadangos, Miriam; Wierzchos, Jacek; Fernández Martínez, Miguel Ángel; Larramendi, Ramón; Moreno, Hilo; Oficialdegui, Ignacio; Olivera, Manuel; Redondo Nieto, Miguel; Mustieles del Ser, Pedro; Potocki, Mariusz; Mayewski, Paul; González Herrero, Sergi; Justel, Ana; Quesada, Antonio; Agencia Estatal de Investigación (AEI)
Microorganisms are present in snow/ice of the Antarctic Plateau, but their biogeography and metabolic state under extreme local conditions are poorly understood. Here, we show the diversity and distribution of microorganisms in air (1.5 m height) and snow/ice down to 4 m depth at three distant latitudes along a 2578 km transect on the East Antarctic Plateau on board an environmentally friendly, mobile platform. Results demonstrate the widespread distribution of microorganisms in the ice down to at least 4 m depth. Data point to geochemical and bacterial geographic distribution that correlate with wind trajectory and speed, modulated by local gathering and recirculation of microorganisms through snow drifting. Reservoir effects and community selection appear to occur over time, favoring microorganisms best adapted to hypothermal and hyperarid conditions. A new cyanobacterial species (Gloeocapsopsis sp) was isolated from 3 to 4 m depth. Our findings suggest that some microorganisms could exhibit transient, basal metabolic activity when associated to high salt particles, contributing to set biodiversity patterns and biogeographic compartmentalization on Antarctic Plateau ice.