Ancient Bacteria From Ice Cave May Hold Key to Fighting Superbugs – But Poses Risks Too
- A bacterial strain, remarkably preserved in a 5,000-year-old layer of ice within the Scărișoara Ice Cave in Romania, is exhibiting resistance to multiple modern antibiotics.
- The research, conducted by a team at the Institute of Biology Bucharest (IBB) of the Romanian Academy, highlights the untapped potential – and inherent risks – of microorganisms...
- Antibiotic resistance isn’t a new phenomenon; it’s a long-standing evolutionary arms race between bacteria and the drugs designed to kill them.
A bacterial strain, remarkably preserved in a 5,000-year-old layer of ice within the Scărișoara Ice Cave in Romania, is exhibiting resistance to multiple modern antibiotics. While this discovery raises concerns about the potential for ancient microbes to exacerbate the growing problem of antibiotic resistance, researchers believe the strain, Psychrobacter SC65A.3, also holds promise for developing new strategies to combat “superbugs.”
The research, conducted by a team at the Institute of Biology Bucharest (IBB) of the Romanian Academy, highlights the untapped potential – and inherent risks – of microorganisms preserved in cold environments for millennia. As antibiotic resistance continues to pose a significant threat to public health, understanding the genetic makeup of these ancient bacteria is becoming increasingly crucial.
Antibiotic resistance isn’t a new phenomenon; it’s a long-standing evolutionary arms race between bacteria and the drugs designed to kill them. However, the speed at which resistance is developing and spreading is accelerating, driven by factors like overuse of antibiotics in medicine and agriculture. The World Health Organization estimates that antibiotic resistance was responsible for deaths globally in .
The Scărișoara Ice Cave, a unique environment hosting a diverse range of microorganisms, provided an ideal location to study this ancient bacterial strain. Researchers extracted a (82-foot) ice core from the cave’s Great Hall and carefully isolated bacterial strains from within the ice. Genome sequencing then revealed the extent of the bacteria’s resistance and its potential for both harm and benefit.
“The Psychrobacter SC65A.3 bacterial strain isolated from Scărișoara Ice Cave, despite its ancient origin, shows resistance to multiple modern antibiotics and carries over 100 resistance-related genes,” explained Dr. Cristina Purcarea, a microbiologist at the IBB, in a statement. “But it can also inhibit the growth of several major antibiotic-resistant ‘superbugs’ and showed important enzymatic activities with important biotechnological potential.”
The dual nature of this discovery is significant. While the presence of so many antibiotic resistance genes in a bacterium that existed millennia before the widespread use of antibiotics is concerning, the fact that it can also inhibit the growth of existing superbugs offers a potential avenue for developing new treatments. The bacteria’s ability to thrive in extreme conditions suggests it possesses unique enzymatic capabilities that could be harnessed for biotechnological applications.
Psychrobacter bacteria are specifically adapted to survive in cold environments, and while some species are known to cause infections, much remains unknown about their evolution and potential uses. The research team found that Psychrobacter SC65A.3 exhibited resistance to antibiotics commonly used to treat lung, skin, and blood infections, among others.
A key concern is the potential for horizontal gene transfer – the process by which bacteria can share genetic material, including antibiotic resistance genes. If Psychrobacter SC65A.3 were to re-emerge and spread, it could potentially transfer its resistance genes to other, more pathogenic bacteria, further exacerbating the antibiotic resistance crisis. However, researchers emphasize that this is a hypothetical risk and that further study is needed to understand the likelihood and consequences of such an event.
The study also underscores the broader implications of climate change. As permafrost and glacial ice melt due to rising global temperatures, vast numbers of dormant microbes are being released into the environment. This phenomenon, documented in recent reports, raises the possibility of encountering other ancient bacteria with unknown properties and potential risks. Thousands of tonnes of dormant microbes are being released as these environments thaw.
The researchers are advocating for increased research into microorganisms preserved in frozen environments, viewing them as a valuable resource for understanding the past and potentially shaping the future of medicine. “To advance a comprehensive understanding of microbial life in cold environments, integrated research should focus on mapping their taxonomic and functional diversity, uncovering the mechanisms of cold adaptation, evaluating their roles in biogeochemical cycles and climate feedback processes, and exploring novel microbial taxa and functions with potential applications in biotechnology and medicine,” the researchers wrote in their published paper.
Developing new antibiotics from this bacterial strain will be a lengthy process, but the research team believes that the insights gained along the way will be invaluable in understanding the development and spread of antibiotic resistance. The discovery highlights the urgent need for continued investment in antibiotic research and development, as well as responsible antibiotic stewardship to preserve the effectiveness of existing treatments. The potential for new antibiotics is encouraging, but the threat of resistance remains a significant global health challenge.
The research was published in Frontiers in Microbiology.