The project will study the adaptation and subcellular physiology of Arctic snow-algae, which have unique metabolic adaptations and could play roles in climate change. The project will use new research tools including selected techniques from the microbial and plant sciences to investigate how snow-algae adapt and respond to environmental changes, particularly the effects of high light and low temperatures on their cell membranes. The project will generate new types of data on snow-algae physiology and we expect that the results will help us understand more about how the cells adapt to extreme conditions and how they might respond to future changes in the Arctic environment.