Life at the limits: diversity, adaptation strategies and bioprospecting of microbes living in Arctic deep-sea habitats. 

INDEPTH is a joint research project between Polish and Norwegian Scientists funded by Norwegian Financial Mechanism 2014-2021 (EEA and Norway Grants) under the GRIEG programme.

The project aims to study the unique biodiversity of the hydrothermal vents found at the Arctic Mid-Ocean Ridge and decipher this hidden reservoir’s metabolic traits and biochemical/enzymological content. Through Polish and Norwegian complementarity, we will combine expertise on extremophilic enzymes, adaptations of extremophiles, metagenomics, ecology and bioprospecting of hydrothermal vents.

INDEPTH is coordinated by Prof. Tadeusz Kaczorowski from the University of Gdańsk. Our Norwegian Partner is Prof. Ida Helene Steen from KGJ Center for Deep Sea Research at the University of Bergen in Norway.
Two other Polish research teams which are part of the INDEPTH consortium are led by Prof. Łukasz Dziewit from the University of Warsaw and by Prof. Wojciech Rypniewski from the Center for Biocrystallographic Research at Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry of Polish Academy of Science.

INDEPTH project aims at:

• Better understanding of biodiversity of microbial communities thriving in extreme deep sea habitats 
• Understanding of the dynamics of microbial universe of Arctic deep sea 
• Discovery of novel enzymes being key factors in microbial metabolism 
• Analysis of adaptation strategies among microbes inhabiting deep-sea floor. 
• Transfer of knowledge and expertise for the exploitation of complex microbial communities. 
• Development of strategies for bioprospecting of microbial metagenomes 
• Development of bioinformatics tools for analyzing metagenomes 

Project overview

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