Scientists compile an inventory of endangered microorganisms

Satellite image of Greenland Glacier Kangerdlugssuaq, included in the Vanishing Glaciers project. ESA - Cryospheric ecosystems are some of the oldest on the planet. scientists have found that the microorganisms living in them have a unique genetic signature. They performed an inventory of the microorganisms in these ecosystems and complied the information into a database, which will be a useful resource for future studies on climate change microbiology. Cryospheric ecosystems cover nearly 20% of the Earth's surface and include polar ice caps, mountain glaciers, glacial lakes, permafrost soils and coastal areas fed by glacier streams. The microbiome of these ecosystems is still poorly understood by the scientific community, even though many of the microorganisms are under threat from climate change. Scientists at EPFL's River Ecosystems Laboratory (RIVER), within the School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering (ENAC) and the Alpine and Polar Environmental Research Centre in Sion (ALPOLE), are running a race against time to better understand the microbiome before it's too late.