Constructing and screening a metagenomic library of a cold and alkaline extreme environment

• Main Authors: Glaring, Mikkel Andreas, Vester, Jan Kjølhede, Stougaard, Peter
• Other Authors: Streit, Wolfgang R., Daniel, Rolf
• Format: Book Part
• Language: English
• Published: Springer 2017
• Subjects: Journal Article; Greenland; Ikka
• Online Access: https://curis.ku.dk/portal/da/publications/constructing-and-screening-a-metagenomic-library-of-a-cold-and-alkaline-extreme-environment(d6a7234d-7c0d-411c-9b22-56a7244d9421).html; https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-6691-2_4

Natural cold or alkaline environments are common on Earth. A rare combination of these two extremes is found in the permanently cold (less than 6 °C) and alkaline (pH above 10) ikaite columns in the Ikka Fjord in Southern Greenland. Bioprospecting efforts have established the ikaite columns as a source of bacteria and enzymes adapted to these conditions. They have also highlighted the limitations of cultivation-based methods in this extreme environment and metagenomic approaches may provide access to novel extremophilic enzymes from the uncultured majority of bacteria. Here, we describe the construction and screening of a metagenomic library of the prokaryotic community inhabiting the ikaite columns.