Overview
ROICE connects field samples with publications, presentations and applied research.
Results from ROICE campaigns have supported microbial ecology, Antarctic ice and subglacial studies, human adaptation research, stable isotope work and polar science cooperation between Romania and international partners.
The programme also produced public communication outputs, educational activities and participation in SCAR, ATCM, COMNAP and international polar research networks.
Publications
ROICE outputs include the books On the Footsteps of Giants and Antarctica. A place beyond time, plus scientific articles on Antarctic microbial diversity, Janthinobacterium sp. ROICE36, antimicrobial potential and glacier ice bacterial communities.
01 Books
- Tușa, I. M. (2017). Antarctica. A Place Beyond Time. Funded by MARIS Association, Arad.
- On the Footsteps of Giants (2017). Romanian Academy Publishing House, Bucharest.
02 Scientific Articles and Proceedings
- Baricz, A. et al. (2018). Investigating the potential use of an Antarctic variant of Janthinobacterium lividum for tackling antimicrobial resistance in a One Health approach. Scientific Reports (under review).
- Chiriac, C. et al. (2018). Draft genome sequence of Janthinobacterium sp. strain ROICE36. Genome Announcements, 6(15), e01553-17.
- Nica, M. et al. Testing violacein extract from Antarctic Janthinobacterium lividum on MDR clinical isolates. In Proceedings of the National Conference on Infectious Pathology, Galați, Romania.
- Chiriac, C. et al. (2017). Draft genome sequence of Janthinobacterium sp. strain ROICE36. In Proceedings of the 6th Aquatic Biodiversity International Conference, Sibiu, Romania.
03 International Conferences
Oral Presentations
2024
- Tușa, I. M. (2024). The Role of Romania and ROICE Expeditions. International Polar Conference, Bulgaria.
- Ițcuș, C. et al. (2024). Climate Change Impact on Antarctic Microbiome. Conference on Cultural Heritage Research, Romania.
2020
- Tușa, I. M. (2020). Human Body Adaptation to Antarctic Conditions. SCAR Open Science Conference (online).
2018
- Purcarea, C. et al. (2018). Ice Microbiome from Antarctic Glaciers to Alpine Ice Caves. POLAR 2018, Switzerland.
2017
- Ițcuș, C. et al. (2017). Microbial Diversity of Glacier Ice. PAM 2017, Greenland.
- Chiriac, C. et al. (2017). Genome Sequence of ROICE36. Sibiu, Romania.
2016
- Ițcuș, C. (2016). Microbial Diversity in Glacial Habitats. APECS Balkan Meeting, Bulgaria.
- Coman, C. et al. (2016). Microbial Community Structure in Snow Types. SCAR Conference, Malaysia.
2015
- Ițcuș, C. (2015). APECS World Summit Participation. Sofia, Bulgaria.
Poster Presentations
2026 (Submitted)
- Grigore, G. A. et al. Antarctic Microbiota Mapping. SCAR Conference, Norway.
- Vrâncianu, C. O. et al. Metagenomic Profiling of Polar Adaptation Mechanisms. SCAR Conference, Norway.
- Grigore, G. A. et al. Microbial Diversity at Penguin–Meltwater Interface. IUMS 2026, Portugal.
2025
- Surleac, M. et al. Microbial Transition from Antarctica to Danube Delta. Murighiol, Romania.
2024
- Surleac, M. et al. Polar Microbiome Exploration. SCAR Conference, Chile.
- Vrâncianu, C. O. et al. Sequencing-Based Microbiome Study. SCAR Conference, Chile.
2019
- Ițcuș, C. et al. Microbial Communities in Glacier Ice. ISAES, Korea.
- Tușa, I. M. et al. Human Adaptation via RBC Biomarkers. ISAES, Korea.
2018
- Tușa, I. et al. RBC Viability in Antarctic Conditions. POLAR 2018, Switzerland.
- Ițcuș, C. et al. Bacterial Community Structure. POLAR 2018, Switzerland.
2017
- Ițcuș, C. et al. Microbial Community Distribution. SCAR Biology Symposium, Belgium.
- Perșoiu, A. et al. Surface Water Interactions. EGU, Austria.
2016
- Ițcuș, C. et al. Bacterial Diversity in Glaciers. IUBMB Conference, Romania.
- Tușa, I. et al. Erythrocyte Viability Study. SCAR Conference, Malaysia.
- Coman, C. et al. Spatial Diversity of Glacier Bacteria. SCAR Conference, Malaysia.
2015
- Ițcuș, C. et al. Bacterial Screening in Antarctic Glaciers. Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
04 Antarctic Policy and Scientific Representation
- Sidoroff, M. E. (2018). ATCM XLI & CEP XXI, Argentina – Presentation of IP 32 rev.
- Sidoroff, M. E. (2017). ATCM XL & CEP XX, China – Romania–Korea Cooperation (IP 06).
- Sidoroff, M. E. (2015). COMNAP General Assembly, Norway.
- Sidoroff, M. E. (2015). ATCM XXXVIII & CEP XVIII, Bulgaria – Cooperation Report (IP 91).
05 International Working Groups and Scientific Networks
The ROICE team contributed to the development of international collaborations focused on Antarctic ecosystems and research integration.
Key Initiatives
- Networking of Ecosystem Sciences (South Shetland Islands & Antarctic Peninsula)
Coordinators: Soon Gyu Hong (KOPRI), Angelica Casanova-Katny (INACH) - LAPES – Linking Antarctic Peninsula Science
Focus: biodiversity, ecosystem evolution, and international collaboration - AnT-ERA – Antarctic Thresholds: Ecosystem Resilience and Adaptation
Coordinators:- Charles Lee (University of Waikato, New Zealand)
- Chun Wie Chong (International Medical University, Malaysia)
- Jeff Bowman (Earth Observatory, USA)
Conferences and International Participation
ROICE research was presented at POLAR 2018 in Davos, the SCAR Biology Symposium in Leuven, SCAR Open Science Conference in Kuala Lumpur, the International Conference on Polar and Alpine Microbiology, APECS events and aquatic biodiversity conferences.
Romanian representatives also participated in Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meetings and Committee for Environmental Protection meetings in Sofia, Beijing and Buenos Aires, plus COMNAP activities in Tromso.
Follow-up projects
Based on the samples collected in Antarctica and the expertise accumulated through the ROICE expeditions, funding was obtained from the Ministry of Research and Innovation for further research projects.
01 Cold Sensor
Title: Novel Aldehyde Dehydrogenase from Antarctic Bacterium as a Highly Efficient Catalyst for Low-Temperature Biosensing and Biotechnologies
Call ID: PN-III-P2-2.1-PED-2016-0116
Period: 2017–2018
Director: Dr. Cristina Purcărea
The project focused on the cloning, expression and purification of aldehyde dehydrogenase from the psychrophilic Antarctic bacterium Flavobacterium PL02. The work included measurements of thermostability and kinetic parameters at different temperatures, as well as purification and expression in E. coli. The project aimed to obtain a catalyst suitable for biosensing and biotechnological applications.
02 AntarcticPharma
Title: Antarctic Bacteria against Human Pathogens: A Quest for New Antimicrobial Compounds
Call ID: PN-III-P2-2.1-PED-2016-1170
Period: 2017–2018
Director: Dr. Cristian Coman
The project focused on the characterisation of Antarctic bacterial strains from the perspective of biotechnological applications, including cultivation, genomic analysis and antimicrobial potential. The main objective was to obtain bacterial extracts with antimicrobial activity against human pathogens.
Education and public outreach
ROICE has an ongoing educational and public outreach component aimed at increasing awareness of Antarctic research, climate change, biodiversity, polar ecosystems and the role of science in understanding extreme environments.
Activities include:
- Annual participation in Școala Altfel, Green Week / Școala Verde, science fairs and school-oriented events dedicated to polar research, environmental education and Antarctic science.
- Educational presentations dedicated to polar ecosystems, Antarctic biodiversity, climate change and Romanian Antarctic research