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Scientists uncover extreme life inside the Arctic ice

For the first time, researchers report that Arctic algae can hustle along in -15 C – the lowest-temperature movement ever recorded in complex, living cells.

The diatoms are as active as we can imagine until temperatures drop all the way down to -15 C, which is super surprising,” said Manu Prakash, associate professor of bioengineering in the Schools of Engineering and Medicine and senior author of the paper. Using a range of on-ship microscopes that the Prakash Lab has been developing for years, the team was able to image inside ice and document the secret lives of these incredible arctic diatoms. When ecosystems are lost, we lose knowledge about entire branches in our tree of life,” he said, noting that severe projected budget cuts to the National Science Foundation are predicted to reduce polar research funding by 70 percent.

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