Perspectives on the microbiology of chile's salar de atacama chaotropic brines

Only a few number of extremophile or extremotolerant taxa are found in hypersaline settings. High NaCl concentrations are not the only type of hypersaline habitats that can exist naturally or artificially; in these situations, special adaption processes are required to allow for microbial survival and proliferation. Three sizable salars (salt flats) in Argentina, Bolivia, and Chile make up the Lithium Triangle Zone, the region with the world's greatest lithium reserves. There has been a lot of research done on the chemical, geological, climatic, and economic aspects of these salars up to this point. But there is a startling paucity of knowledge on the biology of these particular habitats. Here, we report the discovery of two bacterial strains (isolates LIBR002 and LIBR003) in one of the most lithium-dominated hypersaline artificial environments yet described. Although both isolates belonged to the Bacillus genus, their 16S rRNA gene and fatty acid profiles differed. Our findings also showed that the isolates are lithium-tolerant, can be distinguished phylogenetically from Bacillus linked to habitats with high NaCl concentrations, and belong to a distinct clade from the Lithium Triangle Zone. Both isolates were evaluated for morphological, metabolic, and physiological characteristics in order to discover osmoadaptation mechanisms. Here, we report the discovery of two bacterial strains (isolates LIBR002 and LIBR003) in one of the most lithium-dominated hypersaline artificial environments yet described. Although both isolates belonged to the Bacillus genus, their 16S rRNA gene and fatty acid profiles differed. Our findings also showed that the isolates are lithium-tolerant, can be distinguished phylogenetically from Bacillus linked to habitats with high NaCl concentrations, and belong to a distinct clade from the Lithium Triangle Zone. Both isolates were evaluated for morphological, metabolic, and physiological characteristics in order to discover osmoadaptation mechanisms