Isolation, Identification, Morphological and Adhesion Properties of Microorganisms from Antarctic Soils

Abstract

In the present study we present the results from the isolation and study of microorganisms from Antarctic soils. The soil and lichen samples were gathered from the Livingston Island, South Shetland Islands. For the isolation of the different microorganism, different nutritious media were used. The isolated microorganisms were macro-morphologically and micro-morphologically studied. We also investigated the adhesion properties of defined microorganisms on the surface of different metals (copper, aluminium, low carbon steel, and zinc) by using the SEM system JSM 5510. Our results demonstrated that the Antarctic continent is a habitat for a diversity of species of microorganisms despite the harsh living conditions. The microorganisms from the Antarctic continent represent a significant carbon pool. The implication for future studies of such icy environments is that it is essential to know how quickly they are accumulated (growth rate vs. input rate), i.e. whether the microorganisms identified are merely transient organisms, established but not dividing, established and dividing slowly or established and reproducing effectively.