ARKHANGELSK, July 15. /TASS/. Scientists found a new type of virus on the Franz Josef Land Archipelago - the bacteriophage of E. coli. The discovery will help scientists in creating effective antibacterial drugs, Artemy Goncharov, leading the Biological Threats Monitoring Laboratory at the Institute of Experimental Medicine, professor of the Epidemiology, Parasitology and Disinfection Department at the Mechnikov Northwestern State Medical University, told TASS.
"This is a new type of virulent Kagunavirus. Representatives of the genus, to which this bacteriophage belongs, due to their high resistance to environmental factors and the ability to infect multi-antibiotic-resistant strains of E. coli, are considered to be good candidates for biocontrol in medicine and agriculture, therefore this group of viruses requires further study," he said. "We hope to find during further expeditions viruses related to our phage with a higher pronounced therapeutic or biotechnological potential."
Viruses of this genus are able to recombine actively, that is, to exchange DNA sections, which makes them unique models in studying bacteriophages' molecular evolution, he added.
The species was discovered in soil samples collected under a bird market. Birds are carriers of E. coli strains, called A-PEC (Avian Pathogenic Escherichia coli). A-PECs rarely cause diseases in humans, but they are the closest relatives of the strains that circulate in hospitals.
"Wherever there are microorganisms, there always exist their natural antagonists, bacteriophages. Based on this logic, we have searched for bacteriophages that are active against E. coli in the soil that was formed by bird droppings," the scientist told TASS.
The researchers' hypothesis is that a phage that can attack avian strains of E. coli may be used in medicine to combat its varieties, for example, causing cystitis in urological hospitals or septic conditions in intensive care units. Laboratory studies have not confirmed that the isolated bacteriophage is capable of working on clinical isolates of E. coli.
Promising viruses
However, the discovery means that new types of viruses can be discovered in the Arctic, and they will be promising for the development of new antibacterial drugs based on bacteriophages. They could become an alternative to antibiotics in treating nosocomial infections.
The Arctic Floating University expedition continues sampling missions to search for Arctic viruses. The expedition is currently operating in the northeast of the Barents Sea, Novaya Zemlya and Franz Josef Land.
About the expedition
The 20th voyage of the Arctic Floating University scientific and educational expedition runs from July 1 to July 22, 2026 on board the Professor Molchanov scientific research vessel. The expedition organizers are: the Lomonosov Northern Arctic Federal University and the Northern Department for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring (Sevhydromet). The project's official sponsors and partners are: the Russian Federation's Ministry of Science and Higher Education, the Russian Geographical Society, general sponsor - VTB, the Norilsk Nickel Company, and the Floating University Coordination Center based at the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (MIPT).