Library Item
Intercontinental Dispersal of Bacteria and Archaea in Transpacific Winds
Description:
Microorganisms are abundant in the upper atmosphere, particularly downwind of arid regions where winds can mobilize large amounts of topsoil and dust. However, the challenge of collecting samples from the upper atmosphere and reliance upon culture-based characterization methods has prevented a comprehensive understanding of globally-dispersed airborne microbes. In spring 2011 at the Mt. Bachelor Observatory in North America (2.8 km above sea level), we captured enough microbial biomass in two transpacific air plumes to permit a microarray analysis using 16S rRNA genes. Thousands of distinct bacterial taxa spanning a wide range of phyla and surface environments were detected before, during and after each Asian long range transport event. Interestingly, the transpacific plumes delivered higher concentrations taxa already in the background air (particularly Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Firmicutes). While some bacterial families and a few marine archaea appeared for the first and only time during the plumes, the microbial community composition was similar despite unique transport histories of the air masses. It seems plausible, when coupled with atmospheric modeling and chemical analysis, that microbial biogeography can be used to pinpoint the source of intercontinental dust plumes. Given the degree of richness measured in our study, the overall contribution of Asian aerosols to microbial species in North American air warrants additional investigation.
