UVEnergy. Investigador Human Frontiers Science Program Grant (HFSP)

This proposal investigated whether melanin-producing microorganisms in the Atacama Desert use melanin not only for UV protection but also to harvest energy from intense solar radiation. By studying microbes living in one of Earth’s harshest environments, the researchers aimed to uncover new biological functions of melanin and better understand how life adapts to extreme conditions. To achieve this, the team combined cell sorting, genome sequencing, microbial cultivation, and novel nanopore technologies to identify melanin-producing species, analyze their genes, and measure how melanin behaves under UV exposure. The findings  revealed previously unknown energy-harvesting mechanisms and provided insights relevant to evolution, astrobiology, and the search for life in Mars-like environments.