Host-Associated Phages Disperse across the Extraterrestrial Analogue Antarctica
Host-associated phages of the bacterium Ralstonia identified in snow samples can be used to track microbial dispersal over thousands of kilometers across the Antarctic continent, which functions as an extraterrestrial analogue because of its harsh environmental conditions. Due to the presence of the...
Published in: | Applied and Environmental Microbiology |
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Main Authors: | , , , , |
Other Authors: | , , , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
American Society for Microbiology
2022
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Subjects: | |
Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/aem.00315-22 https://journals.asm.org/doi/pdf/10.1128/aem.00315-22 |
Summary: | Host-associated phages of the bacterium Ralstonia identified in snow samples can be used to track microbial dispersal over thousands of kilometers across the Antarctic continent, which functions as an extraterrestrial analogue because of its harsh environmental conditions. Due to the presence of these bacteria carrying genome-integrated prophages on space-related equipment and the potential for dispersal of host-associated phages demonstrated here, our work has implications for planetary protection, a discipline in astrobiology interested in preventing contamination of celestial bodies with alien biomolecules or forms of life. |
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