Scientists find bacteria and fungi actively grow in frozen Arctic tundra
In a new study published this spring, Colorado State University researchers from the Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory have shown that both bacteria and fungi not only survive, but actively grow in the frozen Arctic tundra - a finding that has significant implications for life on cold planets such as Mars, and for the response of Arctic soils to global climate change.
"We know that microorganisms living in permanently frozen environments may have had thousands of years to adapt to those conditions, but what about microorganisms that live in environments that are only frozen for part of the year, such as the Arctic tundra soil? Are these microorganisms able to perform cellular maintenance or grow under frozen conditions?" said Shawna McMahon, co-author of the study and post-doctoral researcher in CSU's Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory, or NREL.
External Link (Today@Colorado State)