US EditionBacteria Frozen 5,000 Years in Romanian Cave Resists 10 Antibiotics
Psychrobacter SC65A.3 from a 5,000-year-old Romanian ice cave resists 10 antibiotics and carries over 100 resistance genes, posing both risk and biotechnological potential.
- Today the Institute of Biology Bucharest published a Frontiers in Microbiology study documenting Psychrobacter SC65A.3 isolated from 5,000-year-old Scărișoara Ice Cave ice and tested for antibiotic resistance.
- The team drilled a 25-meter ice core from the Great Hall, kept ice fragments sterile, isolated strains in the lab, and sequenced genomes to link genes to cold survival and antimicrobial activity.
- Genomic analysis found over 100 resistance-related genes and almost 600 genes of unknown function, with resistance to ten modern antibiotics including ciprofloxacin, and 1 gene with antimicrobial potential.
- Scientists warned melting ice could release resistance genes into modern bacteria, while researchers say enzymes and antimicrobial compounds offer biotech potential and call for lab safety and further research.
- With warming glaciers and caves, researchers say the findings raise urgent global questions as climate change and thawing frozen environments could reawaken dormant microbes, while antibiotic resistance causes 1.27 million deaths annually, underscoring the need for monitoring ancient genomes and evolutionary insight.
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82 Articles
Mutant super-bug resistant to multiple modern antibiotics discovered trapped in 5,000-year-old ice
A super-bug resistant to multiple modern antibiotics has been discovered trapped in 5,000-year-old ice.The bacteria was found in the Scarisoara ice cave in Romania after scientists drilled 25 metres into its core.The ancient strain, dubbed Psychrobacter SC65A.3, was found to be resistance to 10 kinds of modern antibiotics, including ciprofloxacin, a broad-spectrum antibiotic designed to kill many types of germs.Despite its natural resistance, sc…
The strain, identified as Psychobacter SC65A.3, appeared in the cave of Scărișoara, in Romania. The study was published in Frontiers in Microbiology. The research warns that melting due to climate change could release ancient microorganisms. These could transfer resistance genes to current bacteria. The phenomenon would aggravate the global problem of antimicrobial resistance. The scientist Cristina Purcarea, author of the study, indicated that …
Secured from ancient ice, a bacterium shows resistance to antibiotics that were developed only millennia later – and other amazing abilities.
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