

Diving for Discoveries Print Bookmark Share more.. Main Image Navi Dr. Dale Andersen and his team of specialists endure months of harsh terrain, intimidating winds and blasting snow to study the ice-covered, freshwater lakes of Queen Maud Land, Antarctica – an oasis in a frozen desert. Here they collect and preserve precious samples of the microbial communities in Lake Untersee, to find out how Earth’s early ecosystems functioned and how to start the search for life on other planets. This is their voyage of discovery. Watch the video: Cold Warriors Diving for Science in Antarctica The journey Following months of extensive planning, the team assembles in Cape Town, South Africa, before boarding a six-hour flight to Novolazarevskaya Station. From there it will take a hazardous 125 km drive inland to reach Lake Untersee, the largest surface lake in East Antarctica. The journey should take 6–8 hours but nothing is guaranteed; navigating across numerous crevasses, getting trapped in dense snow, and battling through unpredictable weather conditions can cause major delays. Once the team finally crossed the Anuchin Glacier, they are rewarded with spectacular views of Queen Maud Land’s mountains that rise up to magnificent peaks, blocking the passage of the encircling continental ice. Hidden within the mountains, surrounded by rock and ice, is a world resembling Earth's earliest biosphere – Lake Untersee. Once the trucks depart, the team is alone to face the physically demanding task of setting up and securing their orange dome tents along the shore and diving into the vast, icy lake to collect vital samples needed to explore this unique ecosystem. What’s hidden beneath the ice? Armed with only a steam cleaner, non-toxic antifreeze and a small heated coil, they begin the laborious task of melting a diving hole through the thick ice, which can take over 24 hours. From the harsh environment above and the extremely high pH (>10.4) and levels of dissolved methane in the lake, it seems impossible that life can survive here; however, vast photosynthetic microbial mats carpet the lake floor to depths of at least 150 m, growing undisturbed as they did billions of years ago. Dr. Dale Andersen describes, "it's as if we have been sent a postcard from the past. This can help us understand how those early ecosystems thrived on a planet so different from today – a planet whose sun was 30% less bright, and with an atmosphere, lakes, rivers and oceans nearly devoid of oxygen.” Searching for answers The large, conical stromatolites that soar up to half a meter from the lake floor have not been found in any other modern environment. It’s not fully known how these structures arise or why, but they provide an excellent modern example of cyanobacteria that were once common on Earth, and hopefully a better understanding of how early photosynthetic communities functioned. Molecular techniques such as metagenomics and transcriptomics are important for studying these systems and sample preservation is key to obtaining reliable results. “We rely upon QIAGEN’s RNAlater to protect the RNA and DNA of our samples from degrading until we can get them back to our labs. Directly after harvesting biological samples, changes in the gene expression pattern occur due to RNA degradation and transcriptional induction. So, fast and convenient preservation is a must in Antarctica,” Dr. Dale Andersen told us. Studying life in extreme environments also offers the opportunity to understand Earth’s early ecosystems, as well as how to go about the search for life on other worlds such as Mars and the outer moons of Jupiter (Europa) and Saturn (Enceladus). As Dr. Dale Andersen explains, “the more we know about how life copes with similar constraints on Earth, the better prepared we will be to analyze the ancient aqueous sediments of Mars.” The team's work in Antarctica is a valuable journey of exploration, curiosity, leadership and bravery, which is fueled by their desire to advance knowledge and break new ground. Dive into the Antarctic experience by clicking the video link at the top of the page, or select the products below to find out how to get superior sample preservation and purification using RNAlater and RNeasy technologies. References Andersen, D.T. (2014) Diving for Science in Antarctica. The Explorers Journal 91, 30. Andersen, D.T., Sumner D.Y., Hawes, I., Webster-brown. J., McKay, C.P. (2011) Discovery of large conical stromatolites in Lake Untersee, Antarctica. Geobiology, 2, 280. Contact QIAGEN Global contacts Technical Service Customer Care

Diving for Discoveries

Main Image Navi

Dr. Dale Andersen and his team of specialists endure months of harsh terrain, intimidating winds and blasting snow to study the ice-covered, freshwater lakes of Queen Maud Land, Antarctica – an oasis in a frozen desert. Here they collect and preserve precious samples of the microbial communities in Lake Untersee, to find out how Earth’s early ecosystems functioned and how to start the search for life on other planets. This is their voyage of discovery.

Watch the video: Cold Warriors Diving for Science in Antarctica

The journey

Following months of extensive planning, the team assembles in Cape Town, South Africa, before boarding a six-hour flight to Novolazarevskaya Station. From there it will take a hazardous 125 km drive inland to reach Lake Untersee, the largest surface lake in East Antarctica. The journey should take 6–8 hours but nothing is guaranteed; navigating across numerous crevasses, getting trapped in dense snow, and battling through unpredictable weather conditions can cause major delays.

Once the team finally crossed the Anuchin Glacier, they are rewarded with spectacular views of Queen Maud Land’s mountains that rise up to magnificent peaks, blocking the passage of the encircling continental ice. Hidden within the mountains, surrounded by rock and ice, is a world resembling Earth's earliest biosphere – Lake Untersee. Once the trucks depart, the team is alone to face the physically demanding task of setting up and securing their orange dome tents along the shore and diving into the vast, icy lake to collect vital samples needed to explore this unique ecosystem.

What’s hidden beneath the ice?

Armed with only a steam cleaner, non-toxic antifreeze and a small heated coil, they begin the laborious task of melting a diving hole through the thick ice, which can take over 24 hours. From the harsh environment above and the extremely high pH (>10.4) and levels of dissolved methane in the lake, it seems impossible that life can survive here; however, vast photosynthetic microbial mats carpet the lake floor to depths of at least 150 m, growing undisturbed as they did billions of years ago.

Dr. Dale Andersen describes, "it's as if we have been sent a postcard from the past. This can help us understand how those early ecosystems thrived on a planet so different from today – a planet whose sun was 30% less bright, and with an atmosphere, lakes, rivers and oceans nearly devoid of oxygen.”

Searching for answers

The large, conical stromatolites that soar up to half a meter from the lake floor have not been found in any other modern environment. It’s not fully known how these structures arise or why, but they provide an excellent modern example of cyanobacteria that were once common on Earth, and hopefully a better understanding of how early photosynthetic communities functioned. Molecular techniques such as metagenomics and transcriptomics are important for studying these systems and sample preservation is key to obtaining reliable results.

“We rely upon QIAGEN’s RNAlater to protect the RNA and DNA of our samples from degrading until we can get them back to our labs. Directly after harvesting biological samples, changes in the gene expression pattern occur due to RNA degradation and transcriptional induction. So, fast and convenient preservation is a must in Antarctica,” Dr. Dale Andersen told us.

Studying life in extreme environments also offers the opportunity to understand Earth’s early ecosystems, as well as how to go about the search for life on other worlds such as Mars and the outer moons of Jupiter (Europa) and Saturn (Enceladus).

As Dr. Dale Andersen explains, “the more we know about how life copes with similar constraints on Earth, the better prepared we will be to analyze the ancient aqueous sediments of Mars.”

The team's work in Antarctica is a valuable journey of exploration, curiosity, leadership and bravery, which is fueled by their desire to advance knowledge and break new ground. Dive into the Antarctic experience by clicking the video link at the top of the page, or select the products below to find out how to get superior sample preservation and purification using RNAlater and RNeasy technologies.

References

Andersen, D.T. (2014) Diving for Science in Antarctica. The Explorers Journal 91, 30.
Andersen, D.T., Sumner D.Y., Hawes, I., Webster-brown. J., McKay, C.P. (2011) Discovery of large conical stromatolites in Lake Untersee, Antarctica. Geobiology, 2, 280.