AMB Volume 40, Issue 3, 2024 Pages 318-330 https://doi.org/10.59393/amb24400305
Characterization of Bacterial Isolates from Freshwater Environments in Livingstone Island, Antarctica, Using Cultivation and Molecular Methods
Pelkin A., Ilieva R., Iliev M., Dimov S.G., Doytchinov V.V.
The present research work summarizes the investigation of the microbial characteristics of bacterial isolates obtained from freshwater samples collected at various points throughout the Bulgarian Antarctic base “St. Kliment Ohridski” on Livingstone Island. The ability of microorganisms in psychrophilic environments to survive and reproduce at low temperatures, lack of nutrients, and high UV radiation, suggests that they have developed specific mechanisms to overcome these extreme conditions. To understand the range of influence of these environmental factors standard microbiological techniques were used. The research provides data on the influence of UV light, temperature range, determination of minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) to different heavy metals, and 16S rDNA taxonomic identification of the isolates. Antarctic microorganisms are of great interest in food, textile, and brewing industries, production of detergents, etc. The microbial composition in such hostile habitats still little affected by the anthropogenic factor is essential for understanding the potential of psychrophilic microorganisms in different practical applications.
Keywords: cold-loving bacteria, Antarctica, Livingstone Island, UV and heavy metal resistance, temperature range, 16S rDNA sequencing analysis
View Full Article