Tajogaite volcano, La Palma, Canary Islands.
Here, on Earth, at the Tajogaite volcano, in La Palma, it was discovered which microorganisms arrive first in new spaces and how they adapt. They arrive from outside, through the air, or associated with birds, rodents or insects.
An international research, in which two Portuguese institutions collaborate, identified the first microorganisms to colonize the lava tubes formed in the eruption of the Tajogaite volcano (La Palma)which serve as a model to study the possibility of life on Mars.
How life begins and evolves
Research at Environmental Microbiome describes which microorganisms first arrive in these spaces newly created by volcanic activity, how they adapt to extreme conditions and what role they play in the recovery of the ecosystem, the Regional Government of Andalusia said in a press release.
Researchers have been able to observe, almost from the beginning, how life begins in a completely new and sterile environment.
The lava tubes analyzed were formed after the eruption of the Tajogaite volcano on the island of La Palma, Spain, which occurred on September 19, 2021 and lasted 85 days. These tubes constitute a real “newborn world”devoid of soil and vegetation, where the first living beings need to pave the way for the development of the ecosystem.
These environments have become a natural laboratory for studying the limits of life in extreme conditions, opening new lines of research related to habitability on other planets.
The results obtained help to define how some biological communities may arise, evolve and maintain themselves in underground environments on Mars.
Research demonstrates that the first microorganisms arrive mainly from abroad, transported through the air in the form of aerosols or spores, or associated with animals such as birds, rodents or insects.
These contributions introduce organic matter into an initially sterile environment and favor the emergence of the first biological communities.
To analyze this process, the scientific team accessed the lava tubes between one and two years after the eruption, when conditions were still extremely severe. In some areas, the air temperature reached 60 degrees Celsius and the rock surface exceeded 90 degrees.
The researchers carried out three sampling campaigns and combined DNA analysis of microorganisms with the study of minerals and environmental conditions in each area.
Factors such as temperature, salinity, ventilation and mineral composition determine which microorganisms are able to establish and survive.
The study also shows that these microorganisms they not only inhabit the environment, but also contribute to transforming it. Through the formation of biofilms on rocks, they modify minerals and promote processes that constitute the first steps in the formation of fertile soil and ecosystem evolution.
The team will continue to investigate the evolution of these microbial communities to better understand how ecosystems recover after extreme events, such as volcanic eruptions, and will analyze their potential to produce bioactive compounds with possible applications in the areas of health and biotechnology.
The study, supported by the Regional Secretariat of Universities, Research and Innovation of Andalusia, involves the Institute of Natural Resources and Agrobiology of Seville (IRNAS-CSIC), the Geological and Mining Institute of Spain (IGME-CSIC), the University of Almería and the University of Huelva, with the collaboration of University of Évora and the Institute of Systems and Computer Engineering, Technology and Science (INESC TEC)both from Portugal, and the Canary Speleological Federation.
