Microbial life is surprisingly abundant and diverse in global desert ecosystems. In these
environments, microorganisms endure a multitude of physicochemical stresses, including …

The Atacama Desert is by far the driest and oldest desert on Earth, showing a unique
combination of environmental extremes (extreme dryness, the highest UV radiation levels on …

Dispersal is a critical yet poorly understood factor underlying macroecological patterns in
microbial communities. Airborne microbial transport is assumed to occupy a central role in …

For decades, the search for potential signs of Martian life has attracted strong international
interest and has led to significant planning and scientific implementation. Clearly, in order to …

With advances in commercial space launch capabilities and reduced costs to orbit, humans
may arrive on Mars within a decade. Both to preserve any signs of past (and extant) martian …

The search for life beyond Earth has focused on Mars and the icy moons Europa and
Enceladus, all of which are considered a safe haven for life due to evidence of current or …

Abstract The Atacama Desert is one of the driest and oldest deserts on Earth. The extreme
scarcity of rainfall and hence very limited runoff, paired with endorheism, allow sediments …

ABSTRACT The Atacama Desert in Chile is one of the driest and most inhospitable places
on Earth. To analyze the diversity and distribution of microbial communities in such an …

The 2020s could be called, with little doubt, the “Mars decade”. No other period in space
exploration history has experienced such interest in placing orbiters, rovers and landers on …

On Mars, seasonal martian flow features known as recurring slope lineae (RSL) are
prevalent on sun-facing slopes and are associated with salts. On Earth, subsurface …