Ancient Bacterium Discovered in Romanian Ice Cave Shows Remarkable Antibiotic Resistance
Researchers have made an intriguing discovery in Romania’s Scarisoara Ice Cave, where they found a bacterium that has survived for 5,000 years and is resistant to several modern antibiotics. This fascinating bit of research was published in the journal Frontiers in Microbiology.
In their study, scientists drilled a 25-meter ice core, which captures around 13,000 years of history. To keep the ice uncontaminated, the samples were carefully stored and transported to their lab, remaining frozen throughout the process. From this ice, they extracted a unique strain of bacteria, named Psychrobacter SC65A.3.
Despite being ancient, this strain demonstrated resistance to ten commonly used antibiotics, including rifampicin, vancomycin, and ciprofloxacin, which are typically used to treat serious infections today. Cristina Purcarea, a senior scientist at the Institute of Biology Bucharest, emphasized the significance of this finding, noting that these antibiotics are frequently used in various medical treatments.
During their investigation, researchers tested this ancient bacterium against 28 different antibiotics from ten classes, uncovering over 100 genes associated with antibiotic resistance. Purcarea pointed out that examining microbes like Psychrobacter SC65A.3 sheds light on how antibiotic resistance has evolved in nature, predating the use of modern antibiotics.
The discovery suggests that antibiotic resistance is not just a modern problem but has been present in the environment for much longer. Moreover, the Psychrobacter strain showed resilience against additional medications used for treating lung, urinary tract, skin, and reproductive system infections.
However, the study has some limitations. It focused solely on one strain from one sample, and there’s no evidence of this ancient bacterium currently infecting humans or spreading. Experts noted that Psychrobacter is primarily an environmental bacterium and does not have established clinical guidelines for antibiotic resistance, making it difficult to compare its resistance to more clinically relevant superbugs found in hospitals.
In summary, this research highlights the complexities of antibiotic resistance and challenges our understanding of microbial survival through ancient history.
