Structure, adaptations and possible roles of lichen/microbe communities and their importance for survival in the extreme conditions of Antarctica

• Applicants: Dr. Andreas Beck; Professor Dr. Burkhard Becker
• Subject Area: Oceanography
• Term: since 2025
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 562108174

Lichens are key components of Antarctic terrestrial ecosystems, contributing to primary production, soil formation and erosion control. Global warming is rapidly altering Antarctic landscapes, with currently unknown effects on these key players in terrestrial ecosystems. Recent studies have identified lichens as systems dominated by a mycobiont/photobiont with its associated communities of additional fungi, bacteria and viruses. The functional role of this associated microbiome is still unclear, but it is thought to increase the adaptive potential of the whole system. This aspect has not been taken into account when studying the adaptation of lichens to the climatic conditions of Antarctic ecosystems. We propose to study differences in the composition and metatranscriptomes of the microbial symbionts in the one of the most abundant Antarctic macrolichen, Usnea aurantiacoatra, along spatial and environmental gradients to better understand the contribution of these partners to environmental adaptation in lichens. Our project will provide answers to the following key question of SPP1158: What are the likely effects of climate change on lichens and their associated microbiota?

• DFG Programme: Infrastructure Priority Programmes
• Subproject of: SPP 1158: Infrastructure area - Antarctic Research with Comparative Investigations in Arctic Sea Ice Areas
• International Connection: Chile, Spain
• Cooperation Partners: Professor Dr. Ricardo Rozzi; Professor Dr. Leopoldo García Sancho