Ancient Bacteria Found in Romanian Glacier Resists Modern Antibiotics, Posing Scientific Challenge

Bucharest. Scientists have discovered a 13,000-year-old bacterium deep inside the Scărișoara Cave glacier in Romania that challenges modern medical science.

When a 5,000-year-old ice core sample excavated by researchers was thawed and tested, the bacterium, named 'Psychrobacter CR65b.3', was found to be resistant to ten types of modern antibiotics currently in use.

According to Cristina Purcaru, a senior scientist at the Institute of Biology of the Romanian Academy, this bacterium has rendered modern medicines used to treat diseases like tuberculosis and urinary tract infections (UTI) ineffective. However, this bacterium does not infect humans.

Scientists state that there is no immediate danger from this bacterium as the 'Psychrobacter' species can only survive in cold environments and cannot withstand human body temperature. Scientists extracted this sample by drilling a 25-meter deep ice cylinder.

This study, published in the journal Frontiers in Microbiology, confirms that antibiotic resistance existed in nature millions of years before the development of human-made drugs. Microorganisms developed this resistance capacity within themselves due to the competition for survival among them. According to scientist Purcaru, the reason ancient bacteria can fight modern drugs is the evolutionary weapon they have developed over millions of years through DNA exchange.

This research warns about the danger that microorganisms, dormant for thousands of years in melting glaciers due to climate change, could emerge and affect the current ecosystem. However, this discovery also offers a ray of hope.

Genetic structure analysis of Psychrobacter CR65b.3 revealed 11 genes that can kill or inhibit other harmful bacteria, viruses, and fungi. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately five million people die annually due to antibiotic resistance. In such a scenario, scientists believe that new and powerful drugs can be developed from these ancient microorganisms in the future.