DRP003556
Analysis of bacterial community associated with the glacier ice worm
Glaciers, which are harsh environments permanently covered with ice and snow, have unique ecosystems composed of psychrophilic/psychrotolerant organisms. Although the importance of glacier ecosystems has been recognized and many glaciers have been studied, most studies have focused on microorganisms on the glacier surface, and information on glacier invertebrates is limited. In this study, we analyzed  the structure of bacterial community associated with the glacier ice worm Mesenchytraeus solifugus  by deep sequencing of both 16S rRNA genes and their transcripts. The ice worms were collected from two distinct glaciers in Alaska, Harding Icefield and Byron Glacier, and their habitat glacier surfaces were also analyzed for comparison.