Ratio of different bacterial genera in oral biofilm in polar researchers during an Antarctic summer-season expedition 2026 to James Ross Island
Vol.16,No.1(2026)
Short- and long-term stays in Antarctica may induce microbiome changes in oral cavity. In our study, pre- and post-Antarctic expedition oral microbiome were analysed in the participants of Czech Antarctic expedition 2026. Saliva samples were taken from the expedition members before (Day 0, January 16th, 2026), during, and after (Day 62, March 20th, 2026) the Czech Antarctic Expedition to Mendel station, James Ross, Island. Within the expedition time, the samples were taken on Day 34 (February 19th, 2026) and Day 47 (March 5th, 2026). The objective of this study was to investigate whether inducing stress conditions occurring during the Antarctic mission would affect oral microbiome composition. The results suggest that the ratio of common bacteria of oral microbiome, namely share of Streptococcus genus to other genera, decreased during the expedition time. After the return of the expedition staff to the Czech Republic, the composition of the oral microbiome shifted back to pre-expedition status. The ratio of Streptococcus genus to other bacterial strains increased again.
Antarctics; James Ross Island; oral microbiome; isolated crews; confined and extreme environments; space mission analog
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Copyright © 2026 Julie Bartáková, Ondřej Zahradníček, Sonia Bartáková, Bronislav Stibor