Upcoming report: Insights on habitability in icy brines of Lake Vida

Presenter: Dr. Alison Murray, Division of Earth and Ecosystem Sciences, Desert Research Institute, US

Abstract：Ice-entrained Lake Vida brine has provided an accessible natural habitat to study life in the slow lane –where cellular growth is limited, but not extinguished. We measured in situ stable isotopic signatures of N₂O, SO₄^2-, H₂, conducted experiments utilizing stable isotope geochemical tracers to detect microbial transformations and employed radioisotopically-labeled amino acid precursors to detect cellular macromolecule biosynthesis. The results indicated a dominance of abiotic processes in the brine – yet support metabolically active life through detection of nominal rates of protein biosynthesis. At the same time, the brine has posed a challenge to our understanding of ecosystem energetics.

Venue: No. 825 meeting room, ITP, Beijing

Time: 4.00 pm -5.00pm, Friday, June 20, 2014

Moderator: Prof. LIU Yongqin

Welcome.