Resurrecting bacteria eight million years ago

2007/10/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Mikrobiologia

The conservation power of ice has allowed some American biologists to stimulate bacteria eight million years ago. The bacteria were on the ice of a Beacon Valley glacier in Antarctica.

Taking samples of stratified ice over time, biologists have acquired frozen bacteria at different times, the most recent of 10,000 years ago and the oldest of eight million years. In many cases, the cells of the bacteria were degraded, but others have been able to thaw them and return them to life. The oldest bacteria resurrected so far were 300,000 years ago.