Entirely Off-Grid and Solar-Powered DNA Sequencing of Microbial Communities during an Ice Cap Traverse Expedition.

ABSTRACT: Microbial communities in remote locations remain under-studied. This is particularly true on glaciers and icecaps, which cover approximately 11% of the Earth's surface. The principal reason for this is the inaccessibility of most of these areas due to their extreme isolation and challenging environmental conditions. While remote research stations have significantly lowered the barrier to studying the microbial communities on icecaps, their use has led to a bias for data collection in the near vicinity of these institutions. Here, miniaturisation of a DNA sequencing lab suitable for off-grid metagenomic studies is demonstrated. Using human power alone, this lab was transported across Europe's largest ice cap (Vatnajökull, Iceland) by ski and sledge. After 11 days of unsupported polar-style

SUBMITTER: Gowers GF 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6896169 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature