Chinese and American microbiologists have discovered in Hong Kong a previously unknown strain of bacteria that can survive the effects of antiseptics and feed on the alcohol and ammonia molecules they contain.
Oku.AzAccording to the information, the press service of Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University reported.
“The genome of this bacteria allows it to “digest” ammonium ions from household chemicals, as well as decompose alcohols used in the production of antiseptics. This allows microbes to survive in conditions of limited access to food sources and gain competition with other bacteria in the urban environment,” said Associate Professor Tong Xinzhao.
Tong Xinzhao and his colleagues made the discovery during a unique “census” of microbes living in Hong Kong’s urban environment. To obtain this information, scientists collected 738 samples from different regions of this metropolis, including a large number of samples from the skin surface of residents, deciphering the genome structures of microbes and studying them.
During this analysis, biologists were able to detect more than 360 strains of bacteria hitherto unknown to science. Three types of skin microbes attracted the attention of researchers, one of which belongs to the “eremiobacterota” type commonly found in Antarctica. The other two belong to the superphylum “patescibacteria”, which usually live inside other bacteria.
The first form of bacteria was interesting because its DNA contained genes responsible for the decomposition of inorganic nitrogen compounds and alcohols, which are widely used in the production of various antiseptics. Two other microbes have unusually short genomes and can also produce carotene molecules, the basis of vitamin A, as well as the antioxidant Q10, indicating the symbiotic nature of these bacteria.
