"Their results showed that, despite dating back five millenia, the strain is already resistant to all 10 antibiotics. Worryingly, the researchers predict the bacteria will wreak havoc if it manages to escape the ice. And as global temperatures continue to rise, this terrifying prospect becomes more realistic by the day. 'The Psychrobacter SC65A.3 bacterial strain isolated from Scarisoara Ice Cave, despite its ancient origin, shows resistance to multiple modern antibiotics and carries over 100 resistance-related genes,' said study author Dr Cristina Purcarea."
"'If melting ice releases these microbes, these genes could spread to modern bacteria, adding to the global challenge of antibiotic resistance.' From the International Space Station to the acidic soil around volcanoes, bacteria have evolved to surive just about anywhere. In their new study, the team set out to understand how bacteria have adapted to cold environments. The team drilled a 25-metre ice core representing 13,000 years from an area in Scariosoara Ice Cave dubbed the 'Great Hall'."
A bacterial strain, Psychrobacter SC65A.3, was recovered from Scarisoara Ice Cave ice dated at roughly 5,000 years old. A 25-metre ice core representing 13,000 years was extracted from the cave's Great Hall, with ice fragments kept sterile and frozen during transport. Multiple bacterial strains were isolated and genomes sequenced to identify cold-adaptation genes. Psychrobacter SC65A.3 showed resistance to ten common antibiotics and contains over 100 resistance-related genes. Other Psychrobacter strains have been linked to infections in humans and animals. Melting ice could release ancient microbes and resistance genes, increasing the risk of gene transfer as temperatures rise.
Read at Mail Online
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