About this Research Topic
The Eurasian continent possesses diverse and abundant terrestrial (hyper) saline lakes and geothermal features, which, however, experience less (geo)microbiogical investigation than those in America. How the thermophilic and halophilic extremopiles cope with their challenging environments is a fascinating topic because:
1) (hyper)saline lakes and terrestrial geothermal features on Earth are analogs to early Earth and/or extraterrestrial planets. So studies of microbial life and their activities in (hyper)saline lakes and terrestrial geothermal features could bear some insights into research in life evolution and early life on Earth and bear clues for extraterrestrial life search;
2) (hyper)saline lakes and terrestrial geothermal features are often inhabited by low-complexity microbial community and are thus regarded as model ecosystems for environmental microbiologists and biogeochemists. Microbial biogenic element cycling (e.g., carbon, nitrogen, sulfur) in (hyper)saline lakes and terrestrial hot springs is also a part of global element cycling. So investigation on microbial induced element cycling in (hyper)saline lakes and terrestrial hot springs would help understand global change (e.g., global carbon and nitrogen cycling); and
3) (hyper)saline lakes and terrestrial hot springs are important reservoirs for exploiting special enzymes/bioproducts of extensively biotechnological and commercial values. With the use of newly developed techniques (e.g., next generation sequencing, different omics) and integration with other disciplines (e.g., mineralogy, geochemistry), extreme microbes, ecological functions, and biogeochemistry in (hyper)saline lakes and terrestrial hot springs are drawing more attentions than previously. Therefore, we propose this Research Topic for Frontiers in Microbiology and solicit manuscripts related to the following aspects: microbial (archaea, bacteria, virus) diversity and ecology properties, microbe-environment interactions, adaptation and evolution, element cycling (e.g., carbon, nitrogen, sulfur, phosphorus, iron, arsenic), and biotechnological, agricultural and industrial applications thermophiles and halophiles in Eurasian environments. Original research articles will be preferred manuscript type.
1) (hyper)saline lakes and terrestrial geothermal features on Earth are analogs to early Earth and/or extraterrestrial planets. So studies of microbial life and their activities in (hyper)saline lakes and terrestrial geothermal features could bear some insights into research in life evolution and early life on Earth and bear clues for extraterrestrial life search;
2) (hyper)saline lakes and terrestrial geothermal features are often inhabited by low-complexity microbial community and are thus regarded as model ecosystems for environmental microbiologists and biogeochemists. Microbial biogenic element cycling (e.g., carbon, nitrogen, sulfur) in (hyper)saline lakes and terrestrial hot springs is also a part of global element cycling. So investigation on microbial induced element cycling in (hyper)saline lakes and terrestrial hot springs would help understand global change (e.g., global carbon and nitrogen cycling); and
3) (hyper)saline lakes and terrestrial hot springs are important reservoirs for exploiting special enzymes/bioproducts of extensively biotechnological and commercial values. With the use of newly developed techniques (e.g., next generation sequencing, different omics) and integration with other disciplines (e.g., mineralogy, geochemistry), extreme microbes, ecological functions, and biogeochemistry in (hyper)saline lakes and terrestrial hot springs are drawing more attentions than previously. Therefore, we propose this Research Topic for Frontiers in Microbiology and solicit manuscripts related to the following aspects: microbial (archaea, bacteria, virus) diversity and ecology properties, microbe-environment interactions, adaptation and evolution, element cycling (e.g., carbon, nitrogen, sulfur, phosphorus, iron, arsenic), and biotechnological, agricultural and industrial applications thermophiles and halophiles in Eurasian environments. Original research articles will be preferred manuscript type.
Keywords: extremophiles, extreme environments, archaea, bacteria, virus, microbial ecology, biogeochemistry
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
