Arthrobacter gangotriensis sp. nov. and Arthrobacter kerguelensis sp. nov. from Antarctica

International audienc

Psychrobacter salsus sp. nov. and Psychrobacter adeliensis sp. nov. isolated from fast ice from Adelie Land, Antarctica

International audienc

Identification of Janthinobacterium lividum from the soils of the islands of Scotia Ridge and from Antarctic peninsula

Eight isolates of bacteria from the soils of maritime Antarctica and Antarctic peninsula have been identified as members of the genus Janthinobacterium. Based on their morphology, physiological characteristics, biochemical characteristics and mole percent G+C content of their DNA six of them have been identified as ‘J. lividum’ and the remaining two as ‘atypical J. lividum’. The Antarctic J. lividum unlike the mesophilic type strains were unique in that they could grow at pH 4, could produce acid from trehalose and none of them could tolerate more than 2.9% NaCl

A balloon experiment to detect microorganisms in the outer space

The results of biological studies of a cryosampler flown with a balloon, in which air samples were collected at altitudes ranging from 20 to 41 km, well above the Tropopause over Hyderabad, are described. In the analysis carried out in Cardiff, voltage-sensitive dyes that could detect the presence of viable cells were used on these air-samples. Clumps of viable cells were found to be present in samples collected at all the altitudes. The images obtained from electron microscopy are consistent with the above finding. Reference is also made to another paper presented at this conference describing the identification of bacterial species in the sample carried out in Sheffield. Counter arguments are discussed against the criticism that the detected cells and microorganisms (in the samples collected above the local tropopause at 16 km) are due to terrestrial contaminatio