A bacterium preserved in ice for about 5,000 years has been identified as resistant to various currently used antibiotics, in a discovery that reinforces the global alert about the advance of so-called superbugs. The microorganism, named Psychrobacter SC65A.3, was found in a cave in Romania and analyzed by researchers who point to possible risks associated with thawing and the release of ancient organisms into the environment.
The study was published in the scientific journal Frontiers in Microbiology and draws attention to the possibility that resistance genes present in ancestral bacteria could be transferred to current microorganisms, exacerbating a problem that already threatens health systems worldwide.
The strain was located in the Scărișoara cave, in central Romania, where scientists drilled a 25-meter-deep ice core in the so-called “Great Hall”. The collected material serves as a kind of natural record, equivalent to a timeline of approximately 13,000 years, allowing access to microorganisms preserved for millennia.
After genome sequencing, researchers found that Psychrobacter SC65A.3 belongs to a genus known for surviving in extremely low temperatures, which would explain its preservation in glacial conditions for thousands of years.
The most worrying data, however, came from the resistance tests: the bacterium showed the ability to resist 28 antibiotics from 10 different families, including widely used drugs like rifampicin, vancomycin, and ciprofloxacin. Additionally, it is the first strain of the genus with detected resistance to substances like trimethoprim, clindamycin, and metronidazole.
Researcher Cristina Purcarea, the lead author of the study, highlighted the risk associated with the advance of thawing and the potential spread of these genes in the contemporary environment. “We could face a serious problem if thawing releases these microbes,” she stated.
Genetic sequencing also revealed that the microorganism has more than 100 genes linked to antimicrobial resistance, in addition to about 600 genes whose function is still unknown, which increases uncertainties about its potential impact on ecosystems and public health.
The central concern of scientists is that the release of ancient bacteria could introduce resistant genes into the environment that do not circulate in the current world, strengthening modern pathogenic strains and making it harder to combat infections.
Despite the alert, researchers also highlighted that the discovery could bring opportunities for science. The bacterium showed the ability to produce enzymes and antimicrobial compounds capable of inhibiting the growth of some current superbugs, opening space for research aimed at developing new drugs.
Purcarea emphasized the potential of these discoveries for medicine and industry. “These ancient bacteria are essential for science and medicine. They can inspire new antibiotics and industrial enzymes,” she explained.
The study also identified 11 genes with possible capacity to eliminate or inhibit other microorganisms, including bacteria, fungi, and viruses — a result considered promising in the face of the global antibiotic resistance crisis, which already concerns scientific organizations and health authorities.
Source: brasil247.com