Credit: La Venta- Alessio Romeo
Right now, geologist Francesco Sauro and microbiologist Ana Zélia Miller are inside a recently erupted volcano in Iceland investigating microscopic ecosystems that have formed in caves as a direct result of recent volcanic activity. The research team is exploring minerals and materials that can only form in very specific conditions, specifically looking at bacteria sourced from the extreme environment that may contribute to the development of new antibiotics and therapeutics. Their findings may also shed light on how various life forms develop in post-volcanic-eruption environments, providing clues for the future colonization of Mars.
The researchers are at the tail end of their 10-day expedition now, but spoke to Labcompare right before they left for Iceland, detailing their training for the extreme environment, what they hope to find in the caves, and how a desktop scanning electron microscope analyzes their lava samples in real-time.
Read the Q&A on Labcompare