Arctic Ice harbors gliding Algae at record low temperatures

Manu Prakash, associate professor of bioengineering at Stanford, and lead author Qing Zhang of the Prakash Lab spearheaded the work. The findings appeared in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on September 9, 2025.
Evidence came in the form of a 45-day scientific expedition that was carried out in summer 2023. Shipboard scientists collected and experimented with ice samples both at sea and then under conditions in a laboratory, in which freezing conditions were replicated in order to test cells’ abilities.

What makes this discovery significant?

Until now, scientists also believed that organisms trapped in polar ice experienced stasis, waiting out a winter thaw. Instead, this discovery confirms life can survive actively under conditions much colder than scientists imagined. That means diatoms might be contributing to Arctic systems year-round, helping to recycle nutrients, fuel food chains, and even affect sea ice melt and freezing.

How do the diatoms move?

Rather than by swimming, the diatoms secrete sticky mucilage. The mucilage sticks firmly onto neighbouring frozen substrata. The diatoms use actin-myosin proteins propelling internal motors. Human muscles contract by similar sets of molecular proteins. The diatoms pull forward like rope-climbing mountaineers. Arctic species sometimes moved faster than temperate relatives. The action shows specialised adaptation to extreme cold.