Andean lake sediments Targeted Locus (Loci)

Oligotrophic and clear water Andean lakes are used as model systems for understanding the effect of climate change processes such as deglaciation and the effect of UV radiation on natural biological systems. Water regime affects the mineral and nutrient inputs to the lakes and, in turn, affects microbial communities. Our objective is to identify biomarkers that can be used as microscale indicators of climate change processes and to develop methods based on immunological biosensors for a quick and liable monitoring. To that end, we sampled and investigated the microbial and molecular biomarkers in shallow sediments from two Andean lakes, Laguna Negra and Lo Encañado (Santiago region, Chile).