Ilisagvik College has recently received a second grant from the National Science Foundation Tribal Colleges and University Program (NSF-TCUP) for work studying microbes in the arctic tundra.
The $200,000 two-year grant supports student research into the varieties and concentrations of microbes in the permafrost, soil, and vegetation in the nuna (tundra) around Utqiagvik. Specifically, students are looking for pathogenic bacteria that may have consequences for human health as they are released by melting permafrost. Student worker Emily Weech describes it as, "hunting an animal you can't see."
http://www.thearcticsounder.com/.../2233arctic_microbes...
Original source can be found here.
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