Nature: Polar projects

Conducting research at some of Earth's most remote locales requires more than just a willingness to travel. Katharine Sanderson offers a research guide… Teamwork and versatility are essential, says Lyle Whyte, a microbiologist from McGill University in Montreal, Canada. He takes small groups to McGill's research base on central Axel Heiberg Island in the Canadian high Arctic, which accommodates 12 people at full capacity in summer, fewer in winter. Whyte's trips, to sample microbes living in extreme environments, typically last a week or two, and the competition to work on his projects is tough...