An Antarctic Alga That Can Survive The Extreme Cold

Prebiotic cell membranes that survive extreme environmental pressure conditions.

Attractive candidates for compartmentalizing prebiotic cells are membranes comprised of single-chain fatty acids. It is generally believed that life may have originated in the depth of the protoocean, that is, under high hydrostatic pressure conditions, but the structure and physical-chemical properties of prebiotic membranes under such conditions have not yet been explored. We report the tempe...

Glove and mitten protection in extreme cold weather: an Antarctic study

Background Myths, misconceptions and a general lack of information surround the use of gloves and mittens in extreme cold environments. Objective This study assessed how well an assortment of gloves and mittens performed in a very cold environment. Methods A convenience sample of gloves and mittens were tested in Antarctica during the winter of 2016 using a calibrated thermometer (range: -148°F...

Aquaporins in the antarctic midge, an extremophile that relies on dehydration for cold survival.

The terrestrial midge Belgica antarctica relies extensively on dehydration to survive the low temperatures and desiccation stress that prevail in its Antarctic habitat. The loss of body water is thus a critical adaptive mechanism employed at the onset of winter to prevent injury from internal ice formation; a rapid mechanism for rehydration is equally essential when summer returns and the larva...

Can England's NHS survive?

n engl j med 369;1 nejm.org july 4, 2013 1 a crisis that can be resolved only by altering the fundamental principle on which it was founded — provision of funding from general taxation, with care being free at the point of use. Although the criticism was sparked by a February report on an inquiry into shortcomings at one hospital,1 the problems originated in 2010, when two profound forces were ...

Can the generalist survive the 21st century?