Entirely off-grid and solar-powered DNA sequencing of microbial communities during an ice cap traverse expedition

• Published in: Genes
• Main Authors: Gowers, Glen-Oliver. F., Vince, Oliver, Charles, John-Henry, Klarenberg, Ingeborg J., Ellis, Tom, Edwards, Arwyn
• Other Authors: Auðlindadeild (HA), Faculty of Natural Resource Sciences (UA), Líf- og umhverfisvísindadeild (HÍ), Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences (UI), Viðskipta- og raunvísindasvið (HA), School of Business and Science (UA), Verkfræði- og náttúruvísindasvið (HÍ), School of Engineering and Natural Sciences (UI), Háskólinn á Akureyri, University of Akureyri, Háskóli Íslands, University of Iceland
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2019
• Subjects: Genetics; Glaciers; Polar; Erfðafræði; Jöklarannsóknir; Croft; Ingeborg; Jeremy; Vatnajökull; Watkins; Ice cap; Iceland
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11815/1355; https://doi.org/10.3390/genes10110902

Microbial communities in remote locations remain under-studied. This is particularly true on glaciers and icecaps, which cover approximately 11% of the Earth’s surface. The principal reason for this is the inaccessibility of most of these areas due to their extreme isolation and challenging environmental conditions. While remote research stations have significantly lowered the barrier to studying the microbial communities on icecaps, their use has led to a bias for data collection in the near vicinity of these institutions. Here, miniaturisation of a DNA sequencing lab suitable for off-grid metagenomic studies is demonstrated. Using human power alone, this lab was transported across Europe’s largest ice cap (Vatnajökull, Iceland) by ski and sledge. After 11 days of unsupported polar-style travel, a metagenomic study of a geothermal hot spring gorge was conducted on the remote northern edge of the ice cap. This tent-based metagenomic study resulted in over 24 h of Nanopore sequencing, powered by solar power alone. This study demonstrates the ability to conduct DNA sequencing in remote locations, far from civilised resources (mechanised transport, external power supply, internet connection, etc.), whilst greatly reducing the time from sample collection to data acquisition. The following sources of funding enabled the “Return to Vatnajökull” expedition with its wider historical and scientific objectives: Andrew Croft Memorial Fund, AC Irvine Travel Fund, Alpine Ski Club, Jeremy Wilson Charitable Trust, Imperial College Exploration Board, Leathersellers’ Company Charitable Fund, Gino Watkins Memorial Fund, Wallace Watson Award, CGCA Old Centralian’s Trust, University College Oxford Overbrook Fund. Tom Ellis’ time is supported by EPSRC grant EP/M002306/1 and BBSRC grant BB/K006290/1. Ingeborg Klarenberg (I.K.) is funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement (No 675546—MicroArctic). Peer reviewed