Makhalanyane, Thulani PeterVan Goethem, Marc W.Cowan, Don A.2016-05-032016-04Makhalanyane, TP, Van Goethem, MW & Cowan, DA 2016, 'Microbial diversity and functional capacity in polar soils', Current Opinion in Biotechnology, vol. 38, pp. 159-166.0958-1669 (print)1879-0429 (online)10.1016/j.copbio.2016.01.011http://hdl.handle.net/2263/52220Global change is disproportionately affecting cold environments (polar and high elevation regions), with potentially negative impacts on microbial diversity and functional processes. In most cold environments the combination of low temperatures, and physical stressors, such as katabatic wind episodes and limited water availability result in biotic systems, which are in trophic terms very simple and primarily driven by microbial communities. Metagenomic approaches have provided key insights on microbial communities in these systems and how they may adapt to stressors and contribute towards mediating crucial biogeochemical cycles. Here we review, the current knowledge regarding edaphic-based microbial diversity and functional processes in Antarctica, and the Artic. Such insights are crucial and help to establish a baseline for understanding the impact of climate change on Polar Regions.en© 2016 Elsevier. All rights reserved. Notice : this is the author’s version of a work that was accepted for publication in Current Opinion in Biotechnology. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. A definitive version was subsequently published in Current Opinion in Biotechnology, vol. 38, pp. z159-166, 2016. doi :10.1016/j.copbio.2016.01.011.Microbial diversityFunctional capacityPolar soilsPostprint Article