Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

XTREAM project @xtream-project.eu · 14h

🧬 Despite the harshness, the desert is home to dozens of plant species and microbes that have developed remarkable genetic adaptations to withstand its extreme conditions. Many even live in collaboration, optimizing the uptake of water and nutrients —shaping the amazing landscape we see today.

XTREAM project @xtream-project.eu · 14h

♠️However, it harbors ancient groundwater reserves accumulated over thousands of years, and the fog formed along the coast provides a vital reservoir of humidity, which allows species such as the plant Tillandsia landbeckii to survive.

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XTREAM project @xtream-project.eu · 14h

🌧️🚫Besides that, rainfall is almost absent, due in part to cold ocean currents that prevent cloud formation and to the Andes Mountain range, which blocks incoming humidity from the east.

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XTREAM project @xtream-project.eu · 14h

♠ But Atacama has a hidden ace up its sleeve ♠. And thanks to that it can boast of being home to certain species 👇

☢️️ It is undeniable that this desert presents extreme conditions where life would seem impossible: aridity, lack of water and nutrients, extreme salinity, and intense solar radiation.

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XTREAM project @xtream-project.eu · 14h

🌵 Imagine living in a place where it rains only once every 15 years.
Hard to believe. Yet this is the reality of the Atacama Desert —the driest non-polar desert on Earth, located in northern Chile between the Andes Mountains and the Pacific Ocean.

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XTREAM project @xtream-project.eu · 2d

📢 Haven't read our latest blog yet?

Spice up your next coffee break by sharing our latest post! Or simply immerse yourself for 5 minutes in the fascinating world of extreme environments. 🌍✨

What better way to start the week than with a quick knowledge boost? 👉

News

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xtream-project.eu

XTREAM project @xtream-project.eu · 6d

📖 New blog alert!

In our last post, we introduced the protagonists of our project – now it’s time to explore their stage: ✨extreme environments✨

Discover how life and ecological balance are sustained in these harsh and colourful ecosystems 🌈

👉 Read it here: xtream-project.eu/latests-news/

XTREAM project @xtream-project.eu · 7d

🌍✨A big thank you to the World Sponge Community for an inspiring event, and to everyone who stopped by our poster to exchange insights.

XTREAM project @xtream-project.eu · 7d

🤝The Conference also counted with scientific sessions, interdisciplinary panels, and creative exchanges — a great opportunity to connect with experts, spark collaborations, and exchange ideas across disciplines.

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XTREAM project @xtream-project.eu · 7d

🔬 He showed how we utilize large metagenome datasets and ML-based tools to predict the temperature and pH optima of enzymes from sponges — enabling us to pinpoint those with extremophilic properties.

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XTREAM project @xtream-project.eu · 7d

📍Last week, our colleague Ivan Patrick presented a poster at the #12thWorldSpongeConference, in Vila do Conde, Portugal.

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XTREAM project @xtream-project.eu · 8d

✨This collaboration is a perfect example of how knowledge exchange and networking can emerge naturally, not only to advance science but also to inspire the next generation of researchers.

XTREAM project @xtream-project.eu · 8d

🗣️Jorge introduces students to key research lines that form the foundation of XTREAM such as constructing metagenomic libraries using DNA from extreme environments, functional screenings, or the discovery of queuosine, a molecule capable of modulate biofilm formation and bacterial virulence.

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XTREAM project @xtream-project.eu · 8d

Check out our first collaborative activity with our sister project EXPLORA 🌍🔬

🤝Last Wednesday, Jorge Díaz-Rullo Aroco from #XTREAM had the pleasure of joining #EXPLORA at IE University in Segovia, invited by @IreneSánchezAndrea, as part of their Environmental Sciences seminar series.

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XTREAM project @xtream-project.eu · 9d

Click here to learn more about the research 👉https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-05030-z

Genomic and metabolic network properties in thermophiles and psychrophiles compared to mesophiles - Scientific Reports

Scientific Reports - Genomic and metabolic network properties in thermophiles and psychrophiles compared to mesophiles

doi.org

XTREAM project @xtream-project.eu · 9d

↕️ Both groups show reduced metabolite exchange compared to non-extremophiles, but in opposite ways: psychrophiles import less and thermophiles export less nutrients.
Very valuable findings in biotechnology and in understanding the limits of life itself.

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XTREAM project @xtream-project.eu · 9d

🧬Psychrophiles (cold lovers) have larger genomes, more genes, and broader metabolic networks.

⚛️The DNA of thermophiles (hot lovers) is richer in G+C content, which makes it more heat-stable than that of psychrophiles, reflecting genomic adaptation to temperature.

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XTREAM project @xtream-project.eu · 9d

🔥❄️ What makes different hot-loving extremophiles and cold-loving ones? This is what a comparative study in Nature investigates. The results are as surprising as their environments:

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XTREAM project @xtream-project.eu · 12d

2️⃣ Reducing the hydrophobic cores responsible for making proteins more compact

3️⃣ Using salt as an ally to create the bonds that hold their molecules
This is yet another example of how creative life can be, inspiring us to devise biotechnological solutions to today's major industrial challenges

XTREAM project @xtream-project.eu · 12d

But halophiles, microbes that thrive in salt, have evolved amazing tricks to keep their proteins stable:

1️⃣ Increasing the presence of negative charges on the surface of their proteins. That makes molecules repel each other, increasing the flexibility of the proteins and preventing collapse.

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XTREAM project @xtream-project.eu · 12d

At high salt levels, water molecules surround salt ions instead of proteins. The result? Proteins lose hydration, misfold, collapse, or even clump together —making survival impossible for most organisms.

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XTREAM project @xtream-project.eu · 12d

In hypersaline environments, such as the Dead Sea, life faces a major problem: proteins stop working. Here's why 👇

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XTREAM project @xtream-project.eu · 14d

Today in the #XTREAMteam series, meet @scienseed.com! A Madrid-based agency with a multidisciplinary team of communicators & designers with scientific backgrounds. With 10+ years’ experience, they turn complex research into stories that inspire worldwide 🌍💫🧪👉 scienseed.com

XTREAM project @xtream-project.eu · 15d

📅September 29👇

🗣️Our collaborator Aurelio Hidalgo will join the round table “The Future of Molecular Biology in Europe” during the 50th anniversary of @cbm-csic-uam.bsky.social.

🧑‍🔬He will share his expertise in #Biotechnology and #AppliedMicrobiology alongside other scientists.

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XTREAM project @xtream-project.eu · 16d

🌊 Today in #BlueEU, we spotlight the @ufmsecretariat.bsky.social , uniting 43 countries for sustainable growth. One of their focuses is building a circular blue economy in the Mediterranean. Find out how they do👉

Water, Environment and Blue Economy

The UfM promotes cooperation to protect the Mediterranean Sea and supports partnerships inspired by ‘green/blue’ circular economy principles.

ufmsecretariat.org