Uncovering Bacterial Diversity On and Below the Surface of a Hyper-Arid Environment, the Atacama Desert, Chile.

摘要

The Atacama Desert in Chile extends from latitudes 17º S to 28º S between longitudes 69º W and 71º W. It has been reported that surface soils in the hyper-arid region contain low numbers of culturable heterotrophic bacteria. These soils are considered Mars-like and offer an ideal setting to investigate the application of life detection systems. Thirty-three surface sites were sampled to examine further the extent of the hyper-arid region. We also excavated four soil pits, 40 cm to 90 cm in depth, to explore subsurface microbial communities.