University of Colorado researchers find unique Antarctic bacteria

Researchers from the University of Colorado Boulder have discovered bacteria that exist exclusively in Antarctic soils and nowhere else on Earth. This finding challenges the long-standing Baas-Becking hypothesis in microbiology, which posits that ‘everything is everywhere.’

While microbes are typically capable of traveling vast distances via air and ocean currents, the study led by Nick Dragone and Noah Fierer suggests that Antarctica may be an exception to this rule. The research, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, focused on the Arthrobacter group of bacteria found in soils ranging from the Antarctic to the tropics, confirming that certain species are unique to the southern continent.