The Concordia Research Station provides a unique location for preparatory activities for future human journey to Mars, to explore microbial diversity at subzero temperatures and monitor the dissemination of human-associated microorganisms within the pristine surrounding environment. The present study was performed in the frame of the BacFinder project (European Space Agency, ESA AO-13-Concordia) with the aim to unravel the environmental- and human-associated microbial diversity in the surrounding of the Concordia Station. This is the first intensive and extensive surface snow sampling performed monthly over a two-year period at three distances (10, 500, and 1000 m) from the Concordia Station, and investigated by a high-throughput sequencing approach. Emphasis was laid on the relation between microbial presence and both seasonality and distance from the Base. Data suggested that if present the anthropogenic impact was below the detection limit of the employed DNA sequencing-based techniques. On the other hand, our study corroborated the use of DNA sequencing for revealing microbial presence in remote and hostile environments, with implications for Planetary Protections and for life-detection in astrobiology relevant targets.

In the Project PermVegNet (OSS-12) there are 15 sites between 73 and 78°S in which vegetation is monitored every 3 years on a variable number of plots (from 1 to a maximum of 3 for each site) with a 2x2 m size. The vegetation monitoring is performed through the phytosociological method and provides total cover (%), species richness and the dominant species.

The fungal communities in rocks and soils of three different localities (Battleship Promontory, Richard Nunatak, Trio Nunatak), where stations are collecting climatic data, have been compared with a DNA metabarcoding approach. The results showed a strong differentiation in the communities diversity and composition between the two substrates, with an higher diversity in soils compared to rocks.

In the Project PermVegNet (OSS-12) there are 14 sites between 73 and 78°S in which shallow boreholes of 1 m of depth are equipped with 4 thermistors (accuracy 0.2°C) placed at 2, 30,60, 100 or the maximum depth reachable close to 100 cm) to monitor the thermal regime of the active layer and to obtain one of the essential climatic variables (ECV) the active layer thickness that is the maximum depth of the annual 0°C isotherm. Here are added also other two deeper boreholes (Oasi A8 (31 m); Boulder Clay (3.6 m), where ALT is also determinable. In the same sites also a the air temperature, the soil moisture at 2 cm of depth in the ground and the PAR or PIR are measured to establish their relations to the ground thermal regime.

The bacterial communities in rocks and soils of three different localities (Battleship Promontory, Richard Nunatak, Trio Nunatak), where stations are collecting climatic data, have been compared with a DNA metabarcoding approach. In addition samples have been trated with Propidium Mono-Azide (PMA) which binds to DNA of damaged cells and inhibit its replication via PCR. The comparison between samples treated with PMA and samples not treated allows to check the bacterial cells that are intact and potentially alive in these substrates. The results showed a strong differentiation in the communities diversity and composition between the two substrates, with an higher diversity in soils compared to rocks. In addition, the PMA treatment revealed the presence of an high proportion of death cells, whose amplification in traditional metabarcoding approaches obscures the correlation trends in this environment.

The observatory created within the project AMICO records microenvironmental parametrs in rocks and soils of 4 localities in Northern Victorial Land: Battleship Promontory, Richard Nunatak, Trio Nunatak, Mount Bowen. The observatory records in each locality moisture, solar radiation, PAR, wind speed, wind direction, gist speed, and rock, soil and air temperature. Data are collected every two hours and are trasmitted remotely daily. On the website it is possible to navigate and visualize the data.

The only borehole equipped the international standard and within the network managed by the PNRA OSS-12 is located very close to MZS named OASI. The site (-74.74167;164.1;52 m slm) is a flat granitic outcrop. The borehole was drilled with compressed and refrigerated air in the austral summer of 2007 and equipped in 2008. The borehole is 31 m deep and the ZAA is ca 26m and there are 20 thermistors at different depths. Here, only the temperature closest at ZAA depth has been reported.