Microbes in hot and cold deserts with Don Cowan
Channel: Science and Cocktails Johannesburg
Date: 2016-06-17

Science & Cocktails Johannesburg
31 May 2016
Speaker: Don Cowan

 What's special about deserts? How can microbes survive in extreme desert environments? How well do we understand the role that microbes play in desert soil ecosystems? Can we learn about potential life on other planets by studying these organisms and their adaptations?

And finally... what causes the mysterious "Fairy Circles" of the Namib?

About a third of Earth's land surface is covered by deserts. These are harsh environments with little precipitation and wild temperature variations between day and night. The most extreme deserts often appear barren and lifeless to the untrained eye and are certainly some of the most inhospitable places on the planet. Yet a closer look reveals a rich variety of organisms, with special and fascinating adaptations that allow them to survive and proliferate.

In this episode of Science & Cocktails Johannesburg, Don Cowan explains what he and his team have done to understand the structure and function of microbes in two contrasting desert ecosystems: The cold Dry Valley deserts of Antarctica and the hot Namib desert of south-western Africa.

Professor Cowan discusses the lessons we can extract from studying desert microbes and elaborate on the unique challenges of conducting research in such extreme environments. 

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