VIABLE ORGANISMS FROM FECES AND FOODSTUFFS FROM EARLY ANTARCTIC EXPEDITIONS

• Published in: Canadian Journal of Microbiology
• Main Authors: Meyer, George H., Morrow, Marie B., Wyss, Orville
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Canadian Science Publishing 1963
• Subjects: Genetics; Molecular Biology; Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology; General Medicine; Immunology; Microbiology; Antarctic; Antarc*
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/m63-022; http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/m63-022

Microbiological studies of continuously frozen human feces and foodstuffs from sites of early Antarctic expeditions revealed viable organisms after 50 years. Aerobic and anaerobic sporeforming and non-sporeforming bacteria, actinomycetes, yeasts, and molds were recovered. No coliforms were encountered, and other enteric bacteria were of low incidence. The survival of microbiota expected to be present only as a minor component indicates that these have retained sufficient viability so as to comprise the major component of the populations.