'Genetic Goldmine' in Earth's Harshest Desert Could Be The Key to Feeding The Future

www.sciencealert.com...

"The goal was to use this evolutionary tree based on genome sequences to identify the changes in amino acid sequences encoded in the genes that support the evolution of the Atacama plant adaptation to desert conditions," Coruzzi says.

The comparison technique – an example of what's called phylogenomics – yielded 265 positively selected genes, suggesting they correlated with mutations that might confer advantages in the Atacama desert.

or; they're mining the dna of these desert plants for genetic gold that can be used to modify/improve other plants.

improving lives through science? or tampering in God's Domain?

I wonder if some Fauci wannabe is working on gain of function on poison ivy...

a reply to: ElGoobero

Very interesting but what does this mean are they going to implant genes from hardy species of plant's and cacti into those that are staple food's to make them growable in these harsh conditions because even if they do the best they could hope for would be dwarf species since less water and minerals means smaller plants or very slow growing ones regardless of there adaptation to the climate.

I am always a bit suspicious of Frankenstein crop's BUT you know we may not be the earth's first human society to employ genetic engineering, I am not talking about selective breeding either but the mystery of the humble Tomato (which may just possibly be a remnant of the scientific achievements of a previous advanced civilization given it's complex genetic structure and being of course the only known edible member of the nightshade family the rest of which are deadly poison so much so that when the first Europeans to encounter it saw it they feared to taste it).

Just a niggle as well the Atacama is not the harshest, possibly the second harshest or third but that title goes to the Antarctica desert the driest and coldest desert on earth that makes the Atacama look like a green oasis by comparison.

does anything even grow in Antarctica?

one of the issues of the 'green revolution'; Westerners introduced productive plant species but they required more water and fertilizer than many places could provide long term.

there's always a tradeoff. plants that tolerate poor soil and low moisture will never produce as much as mainline USA crops.

there was a thread a while back on the Cajun Pig. not nearly as big and productive as USA / Europe pigs, but they could eat less and poorer quality food, and tolerate the heat better, than the other breeds.

I wonder how much marginal farmland could be used with modified types.

a reply to: ElGoobero

In the Antarctic Dry Deserts I would imagine that only extremely hardy lichen's and microscopic organism's but other than that not that I know.


However since it is NOT allowed for the public to go there and even scientific expeditions have to have special permit's to visit Antarctica well let's say we really don't know BUT.

Back in 1947 the US sent a sizable military force to Antarctica including destroyers, an aircraft carrier, submarine and over four thousand troop's supposedly for cold weather research, it was nowhere near to Russia and the only other power by then defunct that had any interest in the region had been NAZI Germany who had lain a claim to a very sizable portion of the frozen continent.

There are many rumours about the true purpose of the Expedition known as Operation High Jump but afterwards the US Admiral in Charge first broke rank's warning of aircraft that could fly from pole to pole and said a few other things that had him censured after this and then vanished very quickly from public attention, his name was Admiral Byrd.

This is the official video of his expedition which many believe is a cover up of a genuine military operation that was potentially against a NAZI holdout in Antarctica by which it is rumoured that Byrd's force were beaten with the loss of several aircraft, many men and a Destroyer (Forestall later met a strange death himself and many believe that was part of a further cover up related to NAZI's).


This lady is merely repeating rumour and conspiracy theory but it is persistent conspiracy theory that may have a great deal of truth to it.
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The one issue that brought up all of this was the remote possibility that the Warm Oasis supposedly found during Operation high jump could potentially support life even in the cold high altitude conditions that are prevalent throughout most of the frozen continent.

Other than that anything above other than microscopic or potentially lichen type growth is mostly isolated to the coastal areas, that said freeze dried penguins have been found in the dry valley's and they are a huge distance from the coast line so?.
In this video they find a dead seal in the dry valley's at about the 1:30 mark.


There are persistent rumours of no go zones were pilots are ordered not to fly as well so?.

Were else would you hide your most secret projects if you were a government investing billions than a desert or cave as far from prying eye's as possible and I doubt that the US would be the only power that might make such use of Antarctica but DO have the largest visible investment there, it's the invisible investment that catches my attention.

Whatever the truth Antarctica remains a mysterious continent but given how adaptable life is I would not be surprised if there are undiscovered species not only in the waters but in the interior of the continent as well.

presumably storm or tsunami wash penguins / seals inland. poor beasts.

I mentioned Cajun Pig in above post. actually CREOLE pig.
linque to thread
www.abovetopsecret.com...

a reply to: ElGoobero

Probably right and there is volcanism in some regions of Antarctica, actually on a map the dry valley's are pretty close to the coast too so I guess that it could have found it's own way there after all and just gotten disorientated and lost.