[en] Chroococcidiopsis is a unicellular cyanobacterial genus that is growing in extreme dry conditions, either in low or high temperatures. At the lower end of the spectrum, they live as cryptoendoliths in rocks of the Mc Murdo Dry Valleys in Antarctica where they were discovered by Imre Friedmann, while at the higher end, they grow as hypoliths/endoliths in hot deserts, e.g. Negev, Gobi, Atacama.
The capacity of desert strains of Chroococcidiopsis to stabilize their sub-cellular organization is so efficient that, when dried, they can cope with simulated space and Martian conditionsas well as with high doses of ionizing and UV radiations .
Research center :
CIP - Centre d'Ingénierie des Protéines - ULiège
Disciplines :
Environmental sciences & ecology Microbiology
Author, co-author :
Billi, Daniela
Fagliarone
Verseux, Cyprien
Mosca, Claudia
Baqué, Mickael
Wilmotte, Annick ; Université de Liège > Département des sciences de la vie > Physiologie et génétique bactériennes
Language :
English
Title :
Unravelling the secret of the resistance of desert strains of Chroococcidiopsis to desiccation and radiation
Publication date :
June 2017
Event name :
XII SCAR Biology Symposium
Event organizer :
Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research
Event place :
Leuven, Belgium
Event date :
10-14 juillet 2017
Audience :
International
Main work title :
Book of abstracts: XIIth SCAR Biology Symposium, Leuven, Belgium, 10-14 July 2017.
