Bacteria of Antarctica

Abstract

Previous to the departure of the Byrd Antarctic Expedition II, which spent about eighteen months during 1933-34 in the south polar region, plans were made by the authors to collect materials for the study of microorganisms, as well as to do some investigations on this group at the expedition's headquarters in Little America. Having accompanied the Byrd Antarctic Expedition I, Siple was familiar with the conditions under which work of this character could be done. Necessary equipment and supplies for this study were taken. These included a pressure cooker for sterilizing, glassware, culture media, incubator, microscope, jars and vials for collecting. At Little America the crowded conditions of the laboratory, together with limited amount of time for investigations of this character, permitted only a few tests to be made; enough was done, however, to demonstrate the presence of micro6rganisms in snow and ice and to isolate a few cultures which were brought back to the United States for further study. Collecting of various samples of snow, ice, plant debris, mud, and rock fragments, which were delivered to the laboratory at Allegheny College, constituted the more important phase of the work. METHODS OF COLLECTING MATERIALS Glass fruit jars, mostly of quart and pint capacities, with rubber gaskets and glass lids were used for collecting the snow samples. The jars were partially wrapped with cotton and placed in open cotton bags with the lids and gaskets on the jars, but unsealed; these were then sterilized. By experimentation it was found that glassware as well as culture media could be made 83