Polyphosphate (polyP), a polymer of orthophosphate (PO4 3-) of varying lengths, has been
identified in all kingdoms of life. It can serve as a source of chemical bond energy …

Embryophytes (land plants) can be found in almost any habitat on the Earth's surface. All of
this ecologically diverse embryophytic flora arose from algae through a singular evolutionary …

Cyanobacteria are the only prokaryotes capable of performing oxygenic photosynthesis.
Many cyanobacterial strains can live in different trophic modes, ranging from …

The carbon cycle (C-cycle) is the most important and complex biogeochemical cycle in soil
ecosystems, but our understanding of C-cycle at the community level remains limited …

Biological soil crusts are thin, inconspicuous communities along the soil atmosphere
ecotone that, until recently, were unrecognized by ecologists and even more so by …

The ecological significance of light perception in nonphotosynthetic bacteria remains largely
elusive. In terrestrial environments, diurnal oscillations in light are often temporally coupled …

Desiccation-tolerant cyanobacteria can survive frequent hydration/dehydration cycles likely
affecting inorganic carbon (Ci) levels. It was recently shown that red/far-red light serves as …

Biological soil crusts (BSCs) are found in drylands, cover∼ 12% of the Earth's surface in arid
and semi-arid lands and their destruction is considered an important promoter of …

The Sahara Desert is characterized by extreme environmental conditions, which are a
unique challenge for life. Cyanobacteria are key players in the colonization of bare soils and …

Desert-inhabiting cyanobacteria can tolerate extreme desiccation and quickly revive after
rehydration. The regulatory mechanisms that enable their vegetative cells to resurrect upon …