The Italian Collection of Antarctic Bacteria (CIBAN) was established in 1989 at the Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences of the University of Messina. CIBAN is one of the few collections in the world dedicated to Antarctic bacteria and, since its inception, it has grown to include 515 cold-adapted strains belonging to 69 Genera. Bacteria were extracted from seawater, sediment, and benthic organisms, mainly from the Terra Nova Bay marine area in East Antarctica. CIBAN also hosts bacterial isolates from the continent. Quality control: Strains are routinely streaked on agar plates every six months to control purity and viability. Method steps: All cultures are maintained in duplicate on agar slants at 4 °C. Antarctic strains are also preserved by freezing cell suspensions at – 80 °C in liquid broth to which 20% glycerol is added.

During the XVII Italian Antarctic expedition (2001/02), 61 rocks have been sampled within the aim of the project "Role of Cenozoic tectonic and glacial events in the landscape evolution of the Victoria Land region" in northern Victoria Land. They include subvolcanic and metamorphic rocks. The investigated regions are within Cape Adare SR 59-60/13*, Cape Hallett SS 58-60/2, Coulman Island SS 58-60/6, Freyberg Mountains SS 58-60/1 and Mount Murchison SS 58-60/5 USGS sheets.

This dataset includes all the carbonaceous chondrites CO group collected during the Italian Antarctic Expeditions since 1991 in Victoria Land and now preserved at the repository of the Museo Nazionale dell’Antartide.

This dataset includes all the lunar meteorites (achondrites) collected during the Italian Antarctic Expeditions since 2013 in Victoria Land and now preserved at the repository of the Museo Nazionale dell’Antartide.

Information regarding the molluscs in this dataset is based on the Rauschert dredge samples collected during the Latitudinal Gradient Program (LGP) on board the R/V “Italica” in the Ross Sea (Antarctica) in the austral summer 2004, in the framework of the 19th PNRA Antarctic expedition. The study area was the continental shelf along the latitudinal transect comprised between Cape Adare (~71°S) and Terra Nova Bay (~75°S). On the whole,eighteen stations, comprised between 84 and 515m of depth, were sampled The present dataset focus on six molluscs classes (Mollusca: Gastropoda, Bivalvia, Monoplacophora, Aplacophora, Polyplacophora and Scaphopoda). In total 8,359 specimens have been collected belonging to 161 species and corresponding to 505 species distributional records. Of these, in order of abundance, 5,965 specimens were Gastropoda (accounting for 113 species), 1,323 were Bivalvia (accounting for 36 species), 949 were Aplacophora (accounting for 7 species), 74 specimens were Scaphopoda (3 species), 38 were Monoplacophora (1 species) and, finally, 10 specimens were Polyplacophora (1 species). This data set represent the first large-scale survey of benthic micromolluscs for the area and provides important information about the distribution of several species which have been seldom or never recorded before in the Ross Sea.

Culture Collection of Fungi From Extreme Environments (CCFEE) Tuscia Associated Section The Mycological Section of the MNA was founded in 2006 at the University of Tuscia, where the group of Systematic Botany and Mycology had established a collection of Antarctic microfungi. Since that time, the collection has been constantly implemented and today includes about 277 fungal strains belonging to 55 species. One of the main aim pursued by the CCFEE is the conservation of rock specimens, colonized by cryptoendolithic fungi and lichens, collected in the framework of PNRA expeditions. Part of the mission includes the study and valorisation of microfungi isolated from various types of Antarctic samples, including soil, mosses and, above all, rocks collected over about 30 years of Antarctic researches. Rocks are preserved at –20 °C and the cultures on slant agar, frozen form at – 80 °C; yeasts are freeze-dried. Samples curated at CCFEE are indicated by the code MNA-CCFEE-progressive in the database.

During the XXXVIII Italian Antarctic expedition (2022/23), 126 rocks have been sampled within the aim of “MAGIC” project in northern Victoria Land. They include volcanic, igneous and metamorphic rocks, and sediment. The investigated regions are within Cape Hallett SS58-60/2, Freyberg Mountains SS 58-60/1, Mount Murchison SS 58-60/5 and Mount Melbourne SS 58-60/9 USGS sheets. Project: Magma-Ice interaction: late Miocene ice thickness and eruption tempo in northern Victoria Land.

During the X Italian Antarctic expedition (1994/95), 42 rocks have been sampled within the aim of the project "Geological survey and sampling of Jurassic volcanics" in northern Victoria Land. They include subvolcanic and volcanic rocks. The investigated regions are within Mount Joyce SS 55-57/16 USGS sheet.

During the XIX Italian Antarctic expedition (2003/04), one tephra layer has been sampled within the aim of the project "Antarctic meteorites" in northern Victoria Land. The investigated region is within Welcome Mountain SS 55-57/4 USGS sheet.

This dataset includes all the ordinary chondrites LL group collected during the Italian Antarctic Expeditions since 1991 in Victoria Land and now preserved at the repository of the Museo Nazionale dell’Antartide.