Carotenoids dispersed in gypsum rock as a result of algae adaptation to the extreme conditions of the Atacama Desert.

The high-altitude pre-Andean region of the Atacama Desert is characterized by its stark volcanic rock formations and unique hydrothermal gypsum outcrops (gypcrete) that it hosts. This study delves into the biomolecular composition of the endolithic phototrophic microbes that thrive within these gypcretes. Using advanced Raman spectroscopy techniques, including Raman imaging (complemented by microscopic and 3D microscopic observations), herein we unveil new insights into the adaptive strategies of these gypsum-inhabiting algae.

Raman imaging of microbial colonization in rock-some analytical aspects.

Raman imaging allows one to obtain spatially resolved chemical information in a nondestructive manner. Herein, we present analytical aspects of effective in situ and in vivo Raman imaging of algae and cyanobacteria from within their native rock habitats. Specifically, gypsum and halite inhabited by endolithic communities from the hyperarid Atacama Desert were analyzed.

Fundamental drivers for endolithic microbial community assemblies in the hyperarid Atacama Desert.

In hyperarid deserts, endolithic microbial communities colonize the rocks' interior as a survival strategy. Yet, the composition of these communities and the drivers promoting their assembly are still poorly understood. We analysed the diversity and community composition of endoliths from four different lithic substrates - calcite, gypsum, ignimbrite and granite - collected in the hyperarid zone of the Atacama Desert, Chile.

Endolithic microbial habitats as refuges for life in polyextreme environment of the Atacama Desert.

The extremely harsh conditions of hyperarid deserts are a true challenge for microbial life. Microorganisms thriving in such polyextreme environments are fascinating as they can tell us more about life, its strategies and its boundaries than other groups of organisms. The Atacama Desert (North Chile) holds two world records of extreme environmental characteristics: the lowest rainfall and greatest surface ultraviolet radiation and total solar irradiance ever measured on Earth.