Bulat, Sergey A

Sergey A. Bulat is the Head of the Cryoastrobiology group at Petersburg Nuclear Physics Institute, NRC Kurchatov Institute, St. Petersburg-Gatchina, Russia. Dr. Bulatobtained his Ph.D. in microbial genetics from Leningrad State University in1984. His research interests encompass microbial diversity, molecularphylogenetics, and the survival of microbial DNA over time in extreme icyenvironments such as polar ice sheets and subglacial lakes. Using specializedcontaminant-free and sensitive experimental methods, he has investigated thelimits of microbial life in polar glaciers and subglacial lake environments,particularly Lake Vostok. Dr. Bulat's research has shown that the frozen waterof Lake Vostok and the deep aged glacial ice above it contains very lowbiomass, suggesting that the water body, at least in its upper layer, likelyhosts extremely sparse life, if any. His work has significantly advanced ourunderstanding of the potential for life in subglacial Antarctic lakeenvironments. Dr. Bulat also has expertise in utilizing advanced NGStechniques, such as Oxford Nanopore sequencing, to study microbial communities in ice and snow.