Antarctic mats metabarcoding
In the extreme climatic conditions of Antarctica, the main form of life is microorganisms that successfully survive due to plastic metabolism and the ability to form complex partnerships. As a rule, they form algo-bacterial consortia, which are found in aquatic and terrestrial habitats in the form of bottom mats and biofilms. At the same time, cyanobacteria often act as the main and consortium-forming phototrophic component. Within the framework of the Project, for the first time, a comprehensive analysis of Antarctic algo-bacterial consortia with the participation of cyanobacteria will be carried out, including the description of their biological diversity by modern methods of cultural, metegenomic and molecular genetic studies. The Project will focus on the comparative analysis of the taxonomic diversity of cultivated and non-cultivated forms of Antarctic cyanobacteria, as well as on their endemism. The results obtained during the implementation of the Project will not only supplement the available information on the synecology and biodiversity of Antarctic algo-bacterial communities, but also allow the formation of the first Russian collection of cultured strains of Antarctic cyanobacteria for further study as promising producers of biologically active substances. The characterization of microbial communities of relict ecosystems is particularly important due to their potential disappearance against the background of global climate changes, accelerated melting of glaciers and an increase in anthropogenic pressure on the Antarctic region.