Understanding the downstream survival of ICE-locked bacteria: From genes to Adaptive Traits
Glaciers are disappearing at an unprecedented rate, and with them, unique microbial communities that have evolved to thrive in one of Earth’s most extreme environments. The ICE-FATE project investigates what happens to these microorganisms once glacial meltwater carries them into downstream rivers and streams.
Using fieldwork across glaciers and glacier-fed streams in the Swiss Valais and Kyrgyzstan ICE-FATE employs amplicon sequencing and metagenomics to track which glacial bacteria successfully colonize downstream biofilms, and why. A central focus is biofilm formation: the ability to attach to sediment surfaces and form structured communities may be a critical survival trait distinguishing ecological winners from those lost to dilution and environmental stress. Cryoconite holes, the dark sediment-filled depressions on glacier surfaces that host surprisingly rich microbial life, are investigated as potential seeding sources for downstream communities.
Project Leader: Ewa Poniecka, Postdoctoral Researcher, EMBO fellowship
In collaboration with Zhe Liu, Gregoire Michoud, Nicola Deluigi, Florian Baier and Hannes Peter Markus
PI: Prof Tom I. Battin
