A total of 22 morphologically distinct actinobacterial isolates were obtained from the Arctic sediment samples. Preliminary screening for anticancer activity of the extracts of these isolates resulted in the identification of one isolate, designated as MCCB 248 (Fig. 1), as possessing the most potent growth inhibition against NCI-H460 cells (Fig. 2). Upon further study, the IC50 of the MCCB 248 crude extract was found to be 8.1 and 8.2 µg/mL in NCI-H460 human non-small cell lung cancer cells and non-cancerous BS-C-1 African green monkey kidney cells, respectively. During this preliminary screening effort, it was observed that cells exposed to this extract were less confluent after 24 h of incubation, and attached to the substratum with pronounced shrinkage (Fig. 3).Fig. 1 a Colony morphology and b scanning electron micrograph of aerial mycelia of S. artemisia strain MCCB 248 after incubation for 14 days on Nutrient agar at 28 °C Fig. 2Percentage growth inhibition by various actinomycete crude extracts on NCI-H460 cell lines at 50 µg/mL (normalized to a control without extract) Fig. 3Phase contrast microscope image (20×) of NCI-H460 cells; a control cells, b treated cells with S. artemisiae MCCB 248 extract at its IC50 value for 24 h