Microbial community composition of limnetic microbial mats across Antarctica

FALCON L; CERQUEDA-GARCÍA D; BATISTA S; MAC CORMACK W; RUBERTO L; SERVÍN L; MERINO-IBARRA M; BELTRÁN Y; SANCHEZ A; CASTILLO SF; LOPEZ L; MARTINEZ L; GIMENEZ M; SOTOMAYOR J; CARRERO E; MACHADO AL; VALDESPINO P; CAPONE DG; CARPENTER EJ; CARRY C

Montreal

Simposio; 16th International Symposium on Microbial Ecology; 2016

International Society of Micorbial Ecology

Microbial mats are considered extremely relevant in Antarctic ecosystems in terms of metabolic potential and genetic diversity. The community structure, metabolic potential, and elemental composition of Antarctic microbial mats, particularly regarding the biogeochemical signals of carbon and nitrogen was examined. Key components of microbial mats in different bioregions of Antarctica were identified and their functional role in elemental cycling was recognized. Limnetic microbial mats from a latitudinal gradient (4,200 km acrossAntarctica) from Maritime Antarctica to the Dry Valleys weresampled. An environmental characterization was carried out to detect physicochemical drivers of community structure. Next generation sequencing, metagenomics and elemental analysis were used tostudy microbial diversity, structure, metabolic potential and chemical composition.