Research from the University of Chile indicates that “some of them constitute a potential source of ancestral genes that confer resistance to antibiotics”
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Illustrative file photo of Chile’s Bernardo O’Higgins base in Antarctica (REUTERS)
Resistant genes discovered in Antarctica by Chilean scientists could give bacteria “superpowers” against antibiotics and other antimicrobials, which becomes relevant as the melting of the poles progresses due to global warming.
Between 2017 and 2019, researchers from the University of Chile collected samples at different points of the Antarctic Peninsula to complete the study, which was published in the journal Science of the Total Environment.
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Andrés Marcoleta , an academic from the university’s Faculty of Sciences, explained that the “superpowers” developed in the evolutionary process to resist extreme conditions are contained in mobile DNA fragments, which would allow their easy transfer to other bacteria.< /b>
“Now we know thatin the soils of the Antarctic Peninsula, one of the polar areas most impacted by the melting, inhabits a great diversity of bacteria, some of which constitute a potential source of ancestral genes that confer resistance to antibiotics ”, he pointed out.
“In a possible scenario, these genes could leave this reservoir and promote the emergence and proliferation of infectious diseases” , he added.
The “resistance genes” would not be overwhelmed by copper, chlorine or quaternary ammonium, according to the study.
The work showed that the Antarctic Pseudomonas bacteria -one of the predominant groups – are not pathogenic, but could act as a source of resistance genes, while polaromonas also present have the “potential to inactivate beta-lactam type antibiotics, which are essential for the treatment of different infections”.
The researchers pointed out that far from seeking to alarm on the subject, the research would make it possible to anticipate future health risks.
The COVID-19 pandemic “has taught us that microorganisms, and in particular pathogens, can cause effects with global reach. In this In this sense, it is worth asking if climate change could have an impact on the occurrence of infectious diseases. eccious,” Marcoleta said.