Plastic Polymers and Antibiotic Resistance in an Antarctic Environment (Ross Sea): Are We Revealing the Tip of an Iceberg?

• Published in: Microorganisms
• Main Authors: Gabriella Caruso, Maurizio Azzaro, Ombretta Dell’Acqua, Maria Papale, Angelina Lo Giudice, Pasqualina Laganà
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute 2024
• Subjects: microbial biofilm; plastic pollution; antibiotic-resistant bacteria; Ross Sea; Antarctica; Antarctic; Road Bay; Tethys Bay; Antarc*; Iceberg*
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms12102083

Microbial colonization of plastic polymers in Antarctic environments is an under-investigated issue. While several studies are documenting the spread of plastic pollution in the Ross Sea, whether the formation of a plastisphere (namely the complex microbial assemblage colonizing plastics) may favor...