Extreme habitats: Microbial life in Old Faithful Geyser

<p>An eruption of Old Faithful Geyser in Yellowstone National Park is a sight to behold. Indeed, millions of tourists flock to the park each year to see it. Hot water and steam are ejected in the air to a height of 100–180 feet approximately every 90 minutes. Many adjectives come to mind to describe it: powerful, mesmerizing, unique, otherworldly . . . homey? Not so much. Yet new research by Lisa M. Keller, published on <a href="https://academic.oup.com/pnasnexus/article/2/3/pgad066/7069836">PNAS Nexus</a> earlier this year and to be presented on Sunday at the Geological Society of America’s GSA Connects 2023 meeting, shows that for some microbial life forms, Old Faithful Geyser is exactly that: home.</p>