![]() Yet their diversity indicted that the microbes were likely dormant, and had not been killed by the harsh, Himalayan conditions. Their existence was not surprising, given the amount of adventurers that pass through the South Col and how easily germs get blown about. 'There is a human signature frozen in the microbiome of Everest, even at that elevation,' said Dr Schmidt. ![]() However, they also found unprecedented levels of human-associated microbes left over from the sneezes and coughs of mountain climbers. One of them, Naganishia, was by far the most abundant in the South Col samples. Scientists were able to identify almost any active and dormant microbes present in the sample through their DNA, and determine their genetic diversity. ![]() These are particularly hardy microbes, as they thrive in low temperatures, high UV exposure and with low water availability. They were expecting to find some of them, as they have been detected in other extreme, high-elevation locations. The South Col is the rocky gap between Everest and the Lhotse peak, and the final stop for mountaineers before they begin their journey up the world's tallest mountain.Įxplorers with the expedition journeyed as far away from the camp as possible to collect soil samples, before they were analysed in the laboratory. This was the most comprehensive scientific expedition to Mount Everest in history, and involved the installation of the two highest weather stations in the world. Their samples were collected from Everest's South Col during the 2019 National Geographic and Rolex Perpetual Planet Everest Expedition. Indeed, they have never been able to conclusively identify these microbes in samples collected above 26,000 feet (7.9 km).īut for the new study, published in Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research, the USA-based team analysed soil using state-of-the-art gene sequencing technology. In the past, researchers have studied the soil in the coldest regions on Earth, but but have rarely detected significant amounts of human-associated microbes. 'We'll have to be careful to make sure we're not contaminating them with our own.'
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