A new type of bacteriophage has been discovered in the Arctic, which may potentially become a component of drugs for the treatment of bacterial infections in humans, according to Artemy Goncharov, head of the laboratory at the Institute of Experimental Medicine.
The bacteriophage Escherichia coli flora2c was isolated from soil near the bird market north of Cape Flora on West Northbrook Island of the Franz Josef Land archipelago, TASS reported. It is active against E. coli bacteria.
Genome analysis allows the virus to be attributed to a new species of the genus Justus liebig virus. Bacteriophages of this genus are considered as promising components of antibacterial drugs for the treatment of human infectious diseases, in particular urinary tract infections.
The results confirm the hypothesis that the avian ecosystems of the high-latitude Arctic can be considered as a base for the search of new bacteriophages to be used in medicine.
Alex Shishlo, Editor in Chief of the European Bureau, Rough&Polished
