A team of scientists from the Romanian Academy have discovered a 5,000-year-old bacterial strain preserved in ice that exhibits resistance to 10 common modern antibiotics.
The strain, which was found in Romania’s Scarisoara Ice Cave, was obtained from a 25-meter ice core taken from an area referred to as the Great Hall. This core represents around 13,000 years of accumulated ice. To prevent contamination, the samples were carefully transported in sterile conditions and kept frozen until laboratory examination.
Reported by Daily Mail, the bacterium, named Psychrobacter SC65A.3, is part of a genus previously linked to infections in both humans and animals. In laboratory tests, scientists exposed the strain to a total of 28 antibiotics from 10 different classes commonly used in medical practice, including those for tuberculosis, urinary tract infections (UTIs), and other serious bacterial illnesses. The microorganism displayed resistance to all 10 classes tested, such as trimethoprim, clindamycin, and metronidazole.
Through genome sequencing, it was discovered that the strain carries over 100 genes associated with antibiotic resistance, as well as 11 genes that are thought to combat or inhibit the growth of other bacteria, fungi, and viruses. Additionally, nearly 600 genes with unknown functions were identified, potentially representing undiscovered biological mechanisms.
This research emerges within the context of ongoing scientific discussions about the risks posed by melting permafrost and glaciers due to rising global temperatures. Another study published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B has suggested that increased glacier melting in the Arctic could escalate the likelihood of viral “spillover,” where pathogens transfer between species as evolving environmental conditions bring them into new contact with hosts.