High Altitude Bioprospecting

Aerobiome of Denver, 2024

In March 2024 Mel visited Anne at the Metropolitan State University of Denver through a College of Letters, Arts and Sciences Interdsciplinary grant. Working alongside Natascha Seideneck and students of the Bioart, beginning and intermediate painting classes the microbes of the atmosphere were sampled in the city, on Lichen Peak and in Herman's Gulch.

Starting at 1600m in the mile high city and then walking up to nearly 1700m in Lichen Peak and finally to approximately 3350m at Herman Gulch these were the highest altitudes that the HAB team have collected microbes. Though there were no collection above a few meters from the ground.

As found in Kilpisjarvi there were many cold adapted microbes. And quite a few ubiquitous ones too!