Scientists Discover New Bacteriophage in Arctic Soil
Researchers participating in the Arctic Floating University expedition have identified a new type of virus—a bacteriophage that infects E. coli—in soil samples collected beneath bird colonies on the Franz Josef Land Archipelago. The discovery, reported by TASS, could contribute to the development of effective antibacterial drugs, according to Artemy Goncharov, who leads the Biological Threats Monitoring Laboratory at the Institute of Experimental Medicine and is a professor at the Mechnikov Northwestern State Medical University.
Speaking to TASS, Goncharov described the finding as a new type of virulent Kagunavirus. He explained that representatives of this genus are considered promising candidates for biocontrol in medicine and agriculture because of their high resistance to environmental factors and their ability to infect multi-antibiotic-resistant strains of E. coli. "This group of viruses requires further study," he said, adding that the team hopes to find related viruses with even greater therapeutic or biotechnological potential during future expeditions.
The bacteriophage was discovered in soil that had been formed by bird droppings under a bird market. Birds are known carriers of avian pathogenic E. coli (APEC), which are closely related to strains circulating in hospitals, though they rarely cause disease in humans. Goncharov noted that wherever microorganisms exist, their natural antagonists—bacteriophages—are also present, guiding the search for phages active against E. coli in such environments.
The researchers hypothesize that a phage capable of attacking avian E. coli could be used in medicine to combat human infections, such as cystitis in urological hospitals or septic conditions in intensive care units. However, laboratory studies have not yet confirmed the phage's full potential.
Air Sampling Methodology
In a related line of investigation, the same expedition tested for the first time a method for searching for bacteria in the air near bird nests in the Arctic. According to Goncharov, scientists aimed to determine whether pathogenic bacteria can spread through the air in bird rookeries, which could help predict possible infection outbreaks.
An impactor—a device that collects living microorganisms from the air—was used for sampling, with the optimal air intake volume determined to be 5,000 liters. The work was carried out on islands of the Franz Josef Land Archipelago.
The expedition members found that the concentration of coliform bacteria near large bird colonies reached levels that could allow the spread of pathogenic or opportunistic bacteria in microbial aerosols. Coliform bacteria are a group of microorganisms living in the digestive tracts of humans and warm-blooded animals, including birds, and their presence indicates fecal contamination.
Additionally, fleas and ticks that parasitize birds may play a role in maintaining the circulation of pathogens within bird colonies. In a kittiwake colony on Prince George Land Island, researchers collected nesting substrate samples that contained such parasites, as reported by Andrey Przyboro of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
The Arctic Floating University expedition took place from July 1 to July 22, 2026.