Functional gene expression in Antarctic cryoconite holes

Cryoconite holes, or sediment-filled melt holes in the surface of glaciers, host active microbial communities despite their extreme physical conditions. In the Dry Valleys of Antarctica, these perennially cold mini-ecosystems form ice lids that can persist for many years isolating the cryoconite from nutrient and carbon (including CO2) inputs. Despite much recent work addressing biological diversity and activity in cryoconite holes in the Dry Valleys of Antarctica, little is known about nutrient dynamics and limitations in these ice-enclosed ecosystems. We used metatranscriptomic sequencing of total RNA extracted from melted cryoconite holes on two different glaciers in Taylor Valley, Antarctica, to characterize the genes being transcribed on each.