Microbiologist Tracks Antibiotic-Resistant Genes in Melting Glaciers

A Polish microbiologist presented findings on microbes emerging from melting glaciers at the Frontiers Planet Prize ceremony in the Swiss Alps last summer. The work documented genes that allow bacteria to evade antibiotic drugs and raised the possibility that these genes could transfer to other bacteria.

The presentation formed part of the microbiologist's research into how rising temperatures affect microbial populations. The researcher noted that microbes adapt more rapidly than larger organisms when environmental conditions change.

Some disease-causing microbes become more abundant in warmer conditions. The bacterium Vibrio vulnificus, sometimes called flesh-eating bacteria, grows more readily in higher water temperatures. Fungi that cause human disease typically grow at cooler temperatures.

Human body temperature has historically limited most fungal infections, but continued warming could reduce that barrier for certain species.

Microbes perform functions that include producing atmospheric oxygen, breaking down waste, and assisting plants with nutrient uptake. Researchers stated that changes in temperature alter these microbial communities. One biologist described the planet as a test tube in which warming produces widespread microbial shifts.

The extent of those shifts and their effects on human health or ecosystems remain under study.