Nodularia cortisi sp. nov. isolate:Enriched culture in BG11 medium Genome sequencing

The relevance of this study lies in the genomic characterization of a novel filamentous cyanobacterium species, Nodularia cortisi sp. nov, isolated from biological soil crusts in the Atacama Desert. This environment presents extreme aridity, salinity, UV radiation, and temperature fluctuations, imposing selective pressures on inhabiting microorganisms. Cyanobacteria play essential ecological roles in these communities by fixing nitrogen and carbon. Obtaining axenic cultures from soil crusts is challenging due to complex microbial interactions. The metagenomic approach utilized here on an enrichment culture allowed access to the complete 6.7 Mb genome of N. cortisi, including a circular chromosome and two plasmids.