'Bold Traveler' Bacterium Finally Captured After 10-Year Global Search

Russian scientists have discovered a new genus of bacteria in the underground waters of Western Siberia and, at the same time, managed to "capture” a microorganism that researchers around the world had been hunting for, TASS reports citing the Ministry of Science and Higher Education. New Bacterial Genus Discovered in Extreme Conditions The study was conducted by specialists from Tomsk State University. They examined samples of water and deep geological formations across several regions of Siberia. Unexpectedly, it turned out that previously unknown groups of bacteria inhabit these extreme environments. The new genus was named Desulfosceptrum tomskiensis, while the family was designated Desulfosceptrumaceae. The name reflects both the shape of the cells, which resemble a scepter, and the region where they were discovered.