We found a match
Your institution may have access to this item. Find your institution then sign in to continue.
- Title
Microorganisms in the accreted ice of Lake Vostok, Antarctica.
- Authors
Karl, D M; Bird, D F; Björkman, K; Houlihan, T; Shackelford, R; Tupas, L
- Abstract
Analysis of a portion of Vostok ice core number 5G, which is thought to contain frozen water derived from Lake Vostok, Antarctica (a body of liquid water located beneath about 4 kilometers of glacial ice), revealed between 2 x 10(2) and 3 x 10(2) bacterial cells per milliliter and low concentrations of potential growth nutrients. Lipopolysaccharide (a Gram-negative bacterial cell biomarker) was also detected at concentrations consistent with the cell enumeration data, which suggests a predominance of Gram-negative bacteria. At least a portion of the microbial assemblage was viable, as determined by the respiration of carbon-14-labeled acetate and glucose substrates during incubations at 3 degrees C and 1 atmosphere. These accreted ice data suggest that Lake Vostok may contain viable microorganisms.
- Publication
Science (New York, N.Y.), 1999, Vol 286, Issue 5447, p2144
- ISSN
0036-8075
- Publication type
Journal Article
- DOI
10.1126/science.286.5447.2144