PICO
Across our planet, microorganisms - including bacteria, archaea, viruses, microalgae, and fungi - play vital roles in nutrient cycling and ecological balance. Airborne microbial cells that were emitted from marine and terrestrial surfaces are transported and redistributed in the atmosphere on various temporal and spatial scales.
While extensive research has been dedicated to understand microbial communities in the cryo-, litho-, hydro-, and phyllo-spheres, studies on atmospheric microorganisms have been limited to describing their abundance, diversity, and potential climatic and sanitary implications. However, the atmosphere hosts living cells that take part in and are affected by biological, chemical, and physical processes while airborne, contributing to the intricate web of life on our planet.
The continuous exchange of microorganisms between surface habitats and the air makes the atmosphere an important, highly dynamic component of the microbial life cycle that effects biogeochemical cycles and chemical composition.
Thus, to gain a more complete understanding of the planet’s microbiome, it is important to identify atmospheric chemical, physical and biological factors that shape and modulate airborne microbial populations, diversity, and functioning. Such factors include, e.g., emission/deposition and transport processes, exposure to stress factors (e.g., oxidative or osmotic stress) and other intrinsic biological traits of airborne microorganisms which may contribute to their survival and activity.
This session will provide an interdisciplinary platform for atmospheric scientists, biogeoscientists, microbial ecologists and other researchers which are concerned with (i) the transport processes of living microorganisms, (ii) microbial processes in the atmosphere and their feedbacks on the Earth surface (water, soil, vegetation, ice), and (iii) atmospheric factors, processes and conditions that affect atmospheric microbial diversity, concentrations, survival, and functioning. We particularly encourage contributions that lead to a more comprehensive characterization of the microbiome and its interactions with the atmosphere and Earth’ surfaces.