Genome sequencing and assembly of psychrophilic algae
Pigmented snow algae are important primary producers in polar and alpine ecosystems. Various snow algal phenotypes thrive on semi-permanent and permanent snow fields where they experience harsh conditions, such as low temperatures, high irradiation, and often oligotrophic nutrient levels. They form colorful blooms that can reduce the snow surface albedo and enhance melting. Although their physiology, biogeographical distribution, and diversity are well described, snow algae genome data is lacking. This hampers our ability to understand their evolutionary dynamics, metabolic potential, and cellular responses to changing environmental conditions and to predict their roles in future global warming climate scenarios.To fill this knowledge gap, we have assembled the genomes of several psychrophilic snow alga. These assemblies and the ongoing work on gene annotations will allow in-depth comparisons with the increasing number of available algae genomes and thus improve our understanding of cryogenic eukaryotic microbiology and algal adaptation to snow habitats.