Bibliometric analysis of Antarctic microbiological research by Latin American countries: trends and insights (1978–2024)

Abstract 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.