Flavobacterium aerium sp. nov., a bacterium isolated from the air of the Icelandic volcanic island Surtsey

Researchers have identified and characterized a novel bacterium, Flavobacterium aerium sp. nov., isolated from the air of Surtsey, a volcanic island in Iceland designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This discovery was made using a polyphasic taxonomic approach, which included phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences, fatty acid profiling, and genomic sequencing. The bacterium, designated strain 19SA41, exhibits unique morphological and physiological traits, such as pale yellow-pigmented colonies, optimal growth at 22 °C and pH 7.5, and a genome with a G+C content of 33.2 mol%. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that F. aerium is most closely related to Flavobacterium xinjiangense, with a sequence similarity of 96.52%, supporting its classification as a novel species. This finding contributes to the understanding of microbial diversity in extreme environments and underscores the significance of UNESCO World Heritage Sites for scientific research.

Daussin, A., Vannier, P., Ménager, M., Mater, É., & Marteinsson, V. Þ. (2025). Flavobacterium aerium sp. nov., a bacterium isolated from the air of the Icelandic volcanic island Surtsey. International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology, 75(1). https://doi.org/10.1099/ijsem.0.006647