Super bacterium Discovered Nearby: 5,000 Years Old and Resistant to Antibiotics

A team led by microbiologist Cristina Purcarea from the Institute of Biology of the Romanian Academy in Bucharest published the findings in the prestigious journal Frontiers in Microbiology, reports Bild.

Bacterium Found 16 Meters Below the Ice

Researchers drilled a roughly 25-meter-long ice core from the cave’s underground glacier. The sample containing the bacterium was found 16.5 meters below the surface, and dating indicated it originated about 5,335 years ago.

Among the many trapped microorganisms, a particularly interesting strain is Psychrobacter sp. SC65A.3.

Surprising Resistance

Laboratory tests revealed that ten out of 28 tested antibiotics did not affect the bacterium, including well-known broad-spectrum antibiotics.

In its genome, scientists identified more than one hundred segments associated with drug resistance. This finding confirms that antibiotic resistance is not merely a problem of modern medicine, but a phenomenon that has existed for millennia.

Could It Help Fight Today’s Germs?

Interestingly, when grown alongside other bacteria, the super bacterium slows its growth. This includes particularly dangerous hospital strains such as Staphylococcus aureus, as well as species belonging to the Enterobacter group and Klebsiella pneumoniae.

Scientists believe that icy and cave ecosystems may be undiscovered reservoirs of resistance genes and natural antibiotics.

They are currently working to identify the substances that could allow the super bacterium to inhibit the growth of other microbes, which could, in the future, serve as the basis for new drugs to treat hard-to-cure infections.