Entirely Off-Grid and Solar-Powered DNA Sequencing of Microbial Communities during an Ice Cap Traverse Expedition

G.-O.F. Gowers; O. Vince; J.-H. Charles; I. Klarenberg; T. Ellis; A. Edwards

doi:10.3390/genes10110902

Entirely Off-Grid and Solar-Powered DNA Sequencing of Microbial Communities during an Ice Cap Traverse Expedition

G.-O.F. Gowers, O. Vince, J.-H. Charles, I. Klarenberg, T. Ellis, A. Edwards

Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

Abstract

Microbial communities in remote locations remain under-studied. This is particularly true on glaciers and icecaps, which cover approximately 11% of the Earth’s surface. The principal reason for this is the inaccessibility of most of these areas due to their extreme isolation and challenging environmental conditions. While remote research stations have significantly lowered the barrier to studying the microbial communities on icecaps, their use has led to a bias for data collection in the near vicinity of these institutions. Here, miniaturisation of a DNA sequencing lab suitable for off-grid metagenomic studies is demonstrated. Using human power alone, this lab was transported across Europe’s largest ice cap (Vatnajökull, Iceland) by ski and sledge. After 11 days of unsupported polar-style travel, a metagenomic study of a geothermal hot spring gorge was conducted on the remote northern edge of the ice cap. This tent-based metagenomic study resulted in over 24 h of Nanopore sequencing, powered by solar power alone. This study demonstrates the ability to conduct DNA sequencing in remote locations, far from civilised resources (mechanised transport, external power supply, internet connection, etc.), whilst greatly reducing the time from sample collection to data acquisition.

Original language	English
Article number	902
Journal	Genes
Volume	10
Issue number	11
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3390/genes10110902
Publication status	Published - 7 Nov 2019
Externally published	Yes

Funding

Funding: The following sources of funding enabled the \u201CReturn to Vatnaj\u00F6kull\u201D expedition with its wider historical and scientific objectives: Andrew Croft Memorial Fund, AC Irvine Travel Fund, Alpine Ski Club, Jeremy Wilson Charitable Trust, Imperial College Exploration Board, Leathersellers\u2019 Company Charitable Fund, Gino Watkins Memorial Fund, Wallace Watson Award, CGCA Old Centralian\u2019s Trust, University College Oxford Overbrook Fund. Tom Ellis\u2019 time is supported by EPSRC grant EP/M002306/1 and BBSRC grant BB/K006290/1. Ingeborg Klarenberg (I.K.) is funded by the European Union\u2019s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Sk\u0142odowska-Curie grant agreement (No 675546\u2014MicroArctic). The following sources of funding enabled the ?Return to Vatnaj?kull? expedition with its wider historical and scientific objectives: Andrew Croft Memorial Fund, AC Irvine Travel Fund, Alpine Ski Club, Jeremy Wilson Charitable Trust, Imperial College Exploration Board, Leathersellers? Company Charitable Fund, Gino Watkins Memorial Fund, Wallace Watson Award, CGCA Old Centralian?s Trust, University College Oxford Overbrook Fund. Tom Ellis? time is supported by EPSRC grant EP/M002306/1 and BBSRC grant BB/K006290/1. Ingeborg Klarenberg (I.K.) is funded by the European Union?s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Sk?odowska-Curie grant agreement (No 675546?MicroArctic). We would like to thank Sara Rassner and Andr? Soares for their advice and assistance in training Glen Gowers (G.G.) to adapt nanopore sequencing to remote environments. We would also like to thank the Vatnaj?kull National Park for granting a scientific research permit to conduct this work and for offering local advice prior to departure. We would like to thank Joe Cornish, Daniel Bergmann, and Sam Cornish for their logistical (and emotional) support prior to the ice cap traverse. Conflicts of Interest: Arwyn Edwards (A.E.) has received financial support from Oxford Nanopore Technologies Ltd (ONT) to attend and present work on in-field DNA sequencing at Nanopore Community Meetings 2017 and 2018, and London Calling 2019. ONT have also provided A.E. with free reagents for outreach work. ONT have played no role in the design, execution or interpretation of this study.

Funders	Funder number
AC Irvine Travel Fund
Alpine Ski Club
European Union?s Horizon 2020
European Union’s Horizon 2020
Gino Watkins Memorial Fund
Jeremy Wilson Charitable Trust
Memorial Fund, AC Irvine
University College Oxford Overbrook Fund
Horizon 2020 Framework Programme	675546
Horizon 2020 Framework Programme
Oxford Nanopore Technologies
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council	EP/M002306/1
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council	BB/K006290/1
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council

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title = "Entirely Off-Grid and Solar-Powered DNA Sequencing of Microbial Communities during an Ice Cap Traverse Expedition",

abstract = "Microbial communities in remote locations remain under-studied. This is particularly true on glaciers and icecaps, which cover approximately 11% of the Earth{\textquoteright}s surface. The principal reason for this is the inaccessibility of most of these areas due to their extreme isolation and challenging environmental conditions. While remote research stations have significantly lowered the barrier to studying the microbial communities on icecaps, their use has led to a bias for data collection in the near vicinity of these institutions. Here, miniaturisation of a DNA sequencing lab suitable for off-grid metagenomic studies is demonstrated. Using human power alone, this lab was transported across Europe{\textquoteright}s largest ice cap (Vatnaj{\"o}kull, Iceland) by ski and sledge. After 11 days of unsupported polar-style travel, a metagenomic study of a geothermal hot spring gorge was conducted on the remote northern edge of the ice cap. This tent-based metagenomic study resulted in over 24 h of Nanopore sequencing, powered by solar power alone. This study demonstrates the ability to conduct DNA sequencing in remote locations, far from civilised resources (mechanised transport, external power supply, internet connection, etc.), whilst greatly reducing the time from sample collection to data acquisition.",

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AU - Gowers, G.-O.F.

AU - Vince, O.

AU - Charles, J.-H.

AU - Klarenberg, I.

AU - Ellis, T.

AU - Edwards, A.

PY - 2019/11/7

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N2 - Microbial communities in remote locations remain under-studied. This is particularly true on glaciers and icecaps, which cover approximately 11% of the Earth’s surface. The principal reason for this is the inaccessibility of most of these areas due to their extreme isolation and challenging environmental conditions. While remote research stations have significantly lowered the barrier to studying the microbial communities on icecaps, their use has led to a bias for data collection in the near vicinity of these institutions. Here, miniaturisation of a DNA sequencing lab suitable for off-grid metagenomic studies is demonstrated. Using human power alone, this lab was transported across Europe’s largest ice cap (Vatnajökull, Iceland) by ski and sledge. After 11 days of unsupported polar-style travel, a metagenomic study of a geothermal hot spring gorge was conducted on the remote northern edge of the ice cap. This tent-based metagenomic study resulted in over 24 h of Nanopore sequencing, powered by solar power alone. This study demonstrates the ability to conduct DNA sequencing in remote locations, far from civilised resources (mechanised transport, external power supply, internet connection, etc.), whilst greatly reducing the time from sample collection to data acquisition.

AB - Microbial communities in remote locations remain under-studied. This is particularly true on glaciers and icecaps, which cover approximately 11% of the Earth’s surface. The principal reason for this is the inaccessibility of most of these areas due to their extreme isolation and challenging environmental conditions. While remote research stations have significantly lowered the barrier to studying the microbial communities on icecaps, their use has led to a bias for data collection in the near vicinity of these institutions. Here, miniaturisation of a DNA sequencing lab suitable for off-grid metagenomic studies is demonstrated. Using human power alone, this lab was transported across Europe’s largest ice cap (Vatnajökull, Iceland) by ski and sledge. After 11 days of unsupported polar-style travel, a metagenomic study of a geothermal hot spring gorge was conducted on the remote northern edge of the ice cap. This tent-based metagenomic study resulted in over 24 h of Nanopore sequencing, powered by solar power alone. This study demonstrates the ability to conduct DNA sequencing in remote locations, far from civilised resources (mechanised transport, external power supply, internet connection, etc.), whilst greatly reducing the time from sample collection to data acquisition.

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Entirely Off-Grid and Solar-Powered DNA Sequencing of Microbial Communities during an Ice Cap Traverse Expedition

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