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Long-term survival of microorganisms in frozen material from early Antarctic base camps at McMurdo Sound

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 May 2004

D. B. Nedwell
Affiliation:
Department of Biology, University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester CO4 3SQ, UK
N. J. Russell
Affiliation:
Department of Biochemistry, University of Wales, Cardiff, PO Box 903, Cardiff CF1 1ST, UK
T. Cresswell-Maynard
Affiliation:
Department of Biology, University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester CO4 3SQ, UK

Abstract

Plate counts were made of bacteria surviving in materials from Shackleton's and Scott's camps from the first decade of this century. Several millions of bacteria per g of material were detected in samples of pony dung and lesser numbers in dried peas, pearl barley, chaff and straw. No coliforms had survived in the dung: apparent positives in the presumptive coliform counts proved to be sporing Bacillus spp. when tested in a confirmatory coliform test. Subsamples of the colonies growing on agar plates all proved to be either Bacillus spp. producing endospores or actinomycetes (Micromonospora spp.) with single spores along the hyphae.

Type
Short note
Copyright
© Antarctic Science Ltd 1994

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