Against All Odds: Living Microbes Discovered in the Most Unlikely Place on Earth

A novel technique separates living (iDNA) and dead (eDNA) microbial DNA, enabling precise analysis of microbial life in the Atacama Desert. This method reveals active microbes and offers new insights into extreme ecosystems. The Atacama Desert, stretching along the Pacific Coast of Chile, is the driest place on Earth and, due to its extreme aridity, [...]