Navigation Links
Antarctica's coldest, darkest season draws Montana State University researchers
Date:3/10/2008

BOZEMAN, Mont. -- John Priscu normally works in Antarctica during its warmest and longest days. He usually shares the continent with scientists from all over the world.

This year is different.

The Montana State University scientist with an international reputation for polar research is spending his 24th season in Antarctica with no other researchers except the 17 members of his team. They're there for 2 1/2 months at the beginning of the coldest and darkest part of the year. During Antarctica's winter -- also called the "Polar Night" -- daylight disappears completely and temperatures can reach minus-55 degrees F.

He was looking forward to it, Priscu said before leaving Bozeman in January. He had been planning the trip for nine years and said it is vital.

He wants to get a more complete picture of what's happening in the lakes and liquid water that exist under Antarctica's glaciers, Priscu said. That's why he asked the National Science Foundation, which funds his research, if he could go at a different time of year. Spending a couple of months in Antarctica at the same time every year for decades is invaluable, but not good enough.

"Antarctica doesn't stop in the winter," Priscu said.

Priscu's team is working on several research projects, one of which is aimed at better understanding how microorganisms adapt to the loss of light. The researchers know that microbes stop converting sunlight into energy and start consuming organic carbon in the dark, but they want to learn more. The answers relate to global warming and carbon balance, Priscu said.

Priscu typically goes to Antarctica in October and returns in December. This year, he and Barbara Vaughn left Bozeman on Jan. 29 to get married in New Zealand. After their Feb. 5 wedding and a week-long honeymoon, Vaughn returned to Bozeman and Priscu continued on to Antarctica to join some of his team members already in Antarctica. This year's team includes
'/>"/>

Contact: Evelyn Boswell
evelynb@montana.edu
406-994-5135
Montana State University
Source:Eurekalert

1

GOOD

Page: 1 2

Related biology news :

1. Research project aims to control sunlight, extend growing season and conserve energy
2. Wildlife Conservation Society study finds seasonal seas save corals with tough love
3. ANDRILLs 2nd Antarctic drilling season exceeds all expectations
4. A wheat for all seasons -- and reasons
5. Green leather is in this season
6. Michael A. Betts, Seasoned Financial Services Executive, Joins CIC Board of Directors
7. Michael A. Betts, Seasoned Financial Services Executive, Joins CIC Board of Directors
8. Mongolian paleontologists with a dream come to Montana State University
9. Montana State University researcher finds renewed interest in turning algae into fuel
10. New dinosaur species found in Montana
11. State, UH teaming up to reduce (ob)noxious air emissions

Post Your Comments:
*Name:
*Comment:
*Email:
(Date:11/4/2009)...wire/ -- GenVault Corporation, the leader in ambie...scovery, medicine and identification, today announ... and CEO, will be presenting at the BIOCOM Investo... in La Jolla, CA. ,, During the presentation, D...together with recent customer, technical and strat...
(Date:11/4/2009)... University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Schoo...n Francisco have developed and experimentally test...existing drugs. , The researchers developed a co...tructures of all known drugs are to the naturally ...of disease targets within the cell. In a study pub...
(Date:11/3/2009)...e world,s greatest wines are the result of a three... something called the "terroir" -- a term often de..., Experts will discuss terroir with an emphasis o... in Pittsburgh. "Terroir: Winegrapes and the Envi...9 Annual Meetings of the American Society of Agron...
Breaking Biology News(10 mins):GenVault Corporation to Present at the 2009 BIOCOM Investor Conference 2Study points to new uses, unexpected side effects of already existing drugs 2Great wines come from great soils 2 244 million NCI grant funds comparative effectiveness research at Southwest Oncology Group 59516 1 244 million NCI grant funds comparative effectiveness research at Southwest Oncology Group 59516 2 244 million NCI grant funds comparative effectiveness research at Southwest Oncology Group 59516 3Brown and beige dominate the plate 3A Daily dose of color needed to fill Americas phytonutrient gap 10372 1Brown and beige dominate the plate 3A Daily dose of color needed to fill Americas phytonutrient gap 10372 2Brown and beige dominate the plate 3A Daily dose of color needed to fill Americas phytonutrient gap 10372 3Brown and beige dominate the plate 3A Daily dose of color needed to fill Americas phytonutrient gap 10372 4Bug barcode readers hold out promise of universal vaccines 10368 1Bug barcode readers hold out promise of universal vaccines 10368 2
...used a new technique to monitor brain development ..., according to a study in the July issue of Radiol...Máxima Medical Center in Veldhoven, the Netherland...h perinatal hypoxic ischemia, a type of brain inju...iency, usually as a result of complications during...
...e is horrible. The immediate pain of the bite is f...weating or chills, with numbness, nausea, blurred ...er. Such misery is produced by a veritable witches... thought that the body,s own immune system, rather.... But now researchers at the Stanford University S...
...& Science University study shows motion and do...activity patterns thought to relate to memory chan... results, presented last week at the 10th Internat...d Disorders in Madrid, show that continuous, unobt...iable way of assessing changes in motor behaviors ...
Other Biology News:New tool tracks brain development in babies 2Stanford snake venom study shows that certain cells may eliminate poison 2Stanford snake venom study shows that certain cells may eliminate poison 3Stanford snake venom study shows that certain cells may eliminate poison 4In-home sensors spot dementia signs in elderly 2In-home sensors spot dementia signs in elderly 3
(Date:11/5/2009)...ire-FirstCall/ -- WaferGen Biosystems, Inc. (OTC B...-of-the-art genetic analysis systems, today announ...ompany,s Scientific Advisory Board. His career ha...vel molecular diagnostics for cancer detection and...putational biology systems for several biotechnolo...
(Date:11/5/2009)...specialty firm BioSoteria announced that its Vice ...Certified Professional in Learning and Performance...y for Training and Development (ASTD) Certificatio...en years of medical communications and health care...velopment of the company,s online pharmacovigilanc...
(Date:11/4/2009)..., which will be presented on November 19 and is of...mistry processing, will deal with the application ... and micro scale flow chemistry equipment. Profes...ecognized with several prestigious prizes and awar...rize. , Columbia, MD (PRW...
(Date:11/4/2009)...ire-FirstCall/ -- Star Scientific, Inc . (Nasda...to introduce the CigRx(TM) nutraceutical product d...cals, for worldwide marketing and sales in partner.... inVentiv Health offers a complete range of comm...duct lifecycle, in a range of healthcare categorie...
Breaking Biology Technology:WaferGen Names Christopher Sears, Ph.D., Architect of High-Value Molecular Diagnostics and Computational Biology Platforms, to Company's Scientific Advisory Board 2WaferGen Names Christopher Sears, Ph.D., Architect of High-Value Molecular Diagnostics and Computational Biology Platforms, to Company's Scientific Advisory Board 3WaferGen Names Christopher Sears, Ph.D., Architect of High-Value Molecular Diagnostics and Computational Biology Platforms, to Company's Scientific Advisory Board 4BioSoteria eLearning Executive Michelle Nolin Flewell Earns Certification 2BioSoteria eLearning Executive Michelle Nolin Flewell Earns Certification 3BioSoteria eLearning Executive Michelle Nolin Flewell Earns Certification 4Professor Steven Ley of University of Cambridge will Present Free Webinar, 'Application of the ReactIR Flow Cell to Continuous Processing Technology' 2Professor Steven Ley of University of Cambridge will Present Free Webinar, 'Application of the ReactIR Flow Cell to Continuous Processing Technology' 3Star Scientific Plans Worldwide Marketing and Sales of CigRx(TM) Nutraceutical in Partnership with inVentiv Health 2Star Scientific Plans Worldwide Marketing and Sales of CigRx(TM) Nutraceutical in Partnership with inVentiv Health 3Star Scientific Plans Worldwide Marketing and Sales of CigRx(TM) Nutraceutical in Partnership with inVentiv Health 4
...r of The Kavli Prize will be celebrated with a spe...akon Magnus presenting the prize to the seven Kavl... astrophysics, nanoscience and neuroscience will g...ward ceremony, lectures and symposia are open to m...CET), September 9, in Oslo Concert Hall prior to t...
...ologists, Nevada,s,largest and most trusted medica...ysicians have joined the team of board certified r...ars., (Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh...s medical career in 1995 when he graduated,from th... a Bachelor of,Arts in Biology. He then graduated ...
...Products for Biopharmaceutical, Cell,Culture, Life...asoned Sales, Professional to Help Rapidly Expandi... Safety and Time to Market, FORT COLLIN...com ), a leading global supplier of animal free,pr...to market for companies,in the biopharmaceutical, ...
Other Biology Technology:Inaugural Kavli Prize ceremony and symposia: Sept. 8-11 (Oslo, Norway) 2Inaugural Kavli Prize ceremony and symposia: Sept. 8-11 (Oslo, Norway) 3Desert Radiologists Welcomes Five New Physicians to the Practice 2Desert Radiologists Welcomes Five New Physicians to the Practice 3InVitria Expands Sales Team 2InVitria Expands Sales Team 3
Dr. P Set - Human Fetal Normal Tissue: Umbilical Cord from BioChain
Wheat Germ Agglutinin (WGA) PS SPA Imaging Bead from GE Healthcare, formerly Amersham Biosciences
...ells (BTI-TN-5B1-4) derived from Trichoplusia ni e...of expressing significantly higher levels of secre...cells. High Five cells offer the following feature...ck adaptation into serum-free medium- Up to 25-fol...
Sf9 Frozen Cells (Grace's Media) from Invitrogen
Biology Products: