Thesis Old ice - Detection and analysis of microorganisms and DNA preserved in a

Icy environments (e.g. glacial ice, ice shelves, permasfrost ice wedges) provide the best conditions for the long-term preservation of microorganisms and biomolecules, thus potentially representing an incredible archive of organismic information dating back up to 1 million years. The study of DNA-based biological proxies in ancient ice is a relatively new research field that holds the unprecedented opportunity to link climate with biological evolution over geological timescales.

Tasks

This master thesis project is in the frame of a current study on the biodiversity of ancient (~ 600-800 kyr) permafrost ground ice from various sites in Siberia. The aim is to extract, quantify and characterize intact microorganisms as well as environmental DNA. It will involve the use of a mix of experimental methods including cell recovery from ancient natural samples, staining with fluorescent probes, microscopy and basic molecular biology targeting DNA analysis. It will also offer the opportunity to learn how to work in an ancient DNA laboratory.

Requirements

• Interest in microbial ecology and basic knowledge of genetics and molecular biology
• Previous laboratory experience is desirable
• Interest in learning genetic laboratory techniques and bioinformatics tools
• Good proficiency in spoken and written English

Further Information

The project is carried out in the Polar Terrestrial Environmental System group (Prof. Ulrike Herzschuh/Dr. Amedea Perfumo) at AWI Potsdam in collaboration with Freie Universität (FU) Berlin.

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