Comparative microbial ecology of pan-Antarctic soils

Abstract

We have, or have guaranteed access to, a very large number (>200) of Antarctic and sub-Antarctic island terrestrial soil samples, many of which have been processed for eDNA extraction and/or deep metagenomic DNA sequencing. The composite (existing and new) NG sequence datasets contain an enormous depth of information, encompassing detailed diversity information on representatives of all three Domains (included phage and viruses), on microbial community structure, the extent of endemism, and inter-organismal interactions. Mining such data will provide valuable information on multiple Antarctic continental issues, including a more comprehensive understanding of regional soil biodiversity, data to inform regional conservation strategies, the extent of microbial community resilience and the possible impacts of climate change, and the potential value of the indigenous genetic resource.