Arctic fjords are among the most sensitive ecosystems, particularly affected by rapid cryospheric changes. One of the most prominent consequences of global warming in these regions is the increasing input of glacial meltwater, which alters the physical and chemical structure of fjord systems and profoundly affects prokaryotic (bacterial and archaeal) communities. Despite these changes, the impacts on prokaryotic communities, c...

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are long-lasting organic pollutants commonly found in polar regions due to their ability to be transported and deposited over long distances in the atmosphere. This study examined the levels of PCB contamination in water and sediment samples taken from Arctic lakes (Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard) and Antarctic lakes (Livingston Island and Deception Island) and evaluated the biodegradation capabilities o...

In SubArctic ecosystems, the microbial metabolic response to environmental changes is still underinvestigated. In the framework of the pan-Arctic Synoptic Arctic Survey network, the microbial community physiological profiles were determined by Biolog Ecoplates in a pelagic transect crossing the Greenland Sea at 75°N. At six hydrographic stations, seawater was sampled to cover the whole water column ranging from surface to 3532...

Despite the efforts to identify fluid biomarkers to improve diagnosis of Frontotemporal dementia (FTD), only a few candidates have been described in recent years. In a previous study, we identified three circulating miRNAs (miR-92a-3p, miR-320a and miR-320b) differentially expressed in FTD patients with respect to healthy controls and/or Alzheimer’s disease (AD) patients. Now, we investigated whether those changes could be due...

In open regions of the Ross Sea, the role of the microbial community in the turnover of organic matter has scarcely been investigated; indeed, very little is known on how microbial distribution and functional diversity respond to environmental conditions and hydrographic structures. During the austral summer of 2017, two pelagic areas of the Ross Sea [the Drygalski Ice Tongue and the nearby Terra Nova Bay polynya (A area), and...

Background: The cold-adapted Idiomarina sp. 185 from Antarctic shoreline sediment and the mesophilic Idiomarina sp. A19 from the brackish Lake Faro (Italy) were screened for their efficiency in biosurfactant production by a temperature-mediated approach, when grown in rich culture medium and mineral medium supplemented with biphenyl. Methods: oxidation of polychlorobiphenyls and standard screening tests were performed, i.e., E...

Marine Porifera (sponges) are known to produce several bioactive metabolites having a biotechnological potential, mostly derived from their bacterial symbionts; however, current knowledge on the production of metabolites such as enzymes and antibacterial molecules in sponges living in Antarctic environments is not fully exhaustive and needs further deepened investigation. The interest in discovering the broad spectrum of natur...

Bioprospecting in unusual marine environments provides an innovative approach to search novel biomolecules with antibiofilm activity. Antarctic sponge-associated bacteria belonging to Colwellia, Pseudoalteromonas, Shewanella and Winogradskyella genera were evaluated for their ability to contrast the biofilm formation by Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853 and Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 29213, as model organisms. All strains were...