Scientists doing long-term ecological research have drilled sampling holes through the ice at some locations. Madigan, Achenbach, and Carey took advantage of that to check two lakes, Lake Fryxell and Lake Hoare, for bacteria. They spent hours on-site, traversing the rough ice floes and taking water samples with special tubes that can be opened and closed at different depths. Back at their lab in McMurdo, they filtered out cells from those samples. Madigan took some of the cells and performed what is called an absorption spectrum.
Photosynthetic bacteria use light from specific wavelengths in the infrared portion of the spectrum.
Achenbach and Carey extracted DNA from the cells and began running preliminary analyses. Their work also indicated the presence of photosynthetic bacteria in the lakes. With positive findings already in hand, the team brought lots of DNA back to Carbondale, as well as water samples with whole organisms in them for culturing.