Lake Tyrrell Sediment Microbiome

Naturally occurring acid saline lakes are rare, extreme environments. They serve as models for life on ancient Earth as well as serving as possible analogs for the Martian surface. Gaining an insight into microbial communities in these environments will aid further investigations surrounding ongoing exploration for past microbial life on Mars, and understanding how microbes can cope with a multitude of stressors. Previous studies on the microbiome of Lake Tyrrell, an acid saline lake in the southeast of Australia, have focussed on the microbial diversity of waters from the lake. This study investigated the microbial diversity of the sediments and biofilms of Lake Tyrrell enabling the assessment of the systems ecology of these rare but harsh environments.