Antarctica serves as an ideal prototype to study past climatic condition as the ice core records dates back to 100,000 years. Microbiological research on ice core has opened a doorway to our understanding on biodiversity and its contribution to the frozen ecosystem. In this review, the ice core bacterial diversity of East and West Antarctica has been documented. Cold-adapted bacteria hold immense potential in biotechnological applications as they possess functional advantages over mesophilic bacteria. Some of the neoteric applications of bioproducts of Antarctic bacteria have been stated in this review. The current climate change due to global warming exerts a humongous effect on the ecosystem of the polar region. The region being susceptible to any fluctuation in temperature, the exacerbated melting of Antarctic glaciated mass contributes to the rise of global sea level, with loss of ice harbouring unknown microbial entities. This review mainly focuses on the bacterial diversity of East and West Antarctic counterparts, the prevalence of antibiotic-resistant genes, the adaption strategies conferred by bacteria thriving in Antarctic habitats and their potential biotechnological applications.

南极洲是研究过去气候状况的理想原型，因为冰芯记录可以追溯到 10 万年前。对冰芯的微生物研究为我们了解生物多样性及其对冰冻生态系统的贡献打开了大门。在这篇综述中，记录了南极洲东部和西部的冰芯细菌多样性。冷适应细菌在生物技术应用中具有巨大潜力，因为它们比嗜温细菌具有功能优势。本综述阐述了南极细菌生物制品的一些近代应用。当前全球变暖导致的气候变化对极地生态系统产生了巨大影响。该地区容易受到温度波动的影响，南极冰川的加速融化导致全球海平面上升，导致蕴藏着未知微生物的冰层消失。本综述主要关注南极东部和西部的细菌多样性、抗生素抗性基因的流行、南极栖息地中细菌繁衍所赋予的适应策略及其潜在的生物技术应用。