ERDC-CRREL microbiologist briefs Army one-star on importance of ancient organisms
U.S. Army Brig. Gen. John J. Elam, deputy commanding general, 416th Theater Engineer Command, visited the Engineer Research and Development Center’s Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory Nov. 1. During the visit, CRREL Microbiologist Dr. Robyn Barbato showed petri dishes containing ancient organisms, which supports a larger effort to understand ancient biodiversity in permafrost that includes fossilized materials. The results of this program support the collection of valuable fundamental data to better understand relationships required to advance reliable predictions of the impact of climate warming and human activity on habitat and biodiversity, factors that not only affect global sustainability, but also directly impact Army mission and training activities.