Bibliometric Analysis of Antarctic Microbiological Research by Latin American Countries: Trends and Insights (1978-2024)

This bibliometric study maps Antarctic microbiology research in South American countries using Web of Science records (1978-2024). A descriptive, quantitative design applied bibliometrix and VOSviewer, with thesaurus-based normalization reducing keyword variants by 6%, to construct a 1240-term science map. After manual screening focused on Antarctic (excluding sub-Antarctic) microbiology, 497 publications remained. Chile led the output (234), followed by Brazil (124) and Argentina (98). The leading journals for this output are Polar Biology, Frontiers in Microbiology and Extremophiles. Keyword and co-occurrence analyses revealed dominant themes of Pseudomonas and the bioremediation/biodegradation of heavy metals. The largest cluster, centred on Pseudomonas, was linked to oxidative stress, antioxidants, pigments, biofilms and polyhydroxyalkanoates, with a second major cluster focused on bioremediation. The findings indicate an applied orientation towards collecting biological materials and characterizing molecular/biochemical properties with commercialization potential. This study clarifies trends and gaps, informing future directions to facilitate international cooperation and advance the understanding of microbial diversity and functions across Antarctic habitats.