Researchers have discovered that the 5,300-year-old ice mummy Ötzi still harbors original gut bacteria and cold-loving yeasts from the glacier, reports infohub.kz.
An international team of scientists from the Eurac Research center has studied the microbiome of the Tyrolean Iceman. They analyzed samples from his intestines, meltwater, and ice on the mummy's surface, which was found in the Alps in 1991.
In the study, biologists managed to separate ancient bacteria that lived in the man's body during his lifetime from microorganisms that colonized the body after death. Traces of original microflora, typical of ancient human populations, were preserved in the gut. Meanwhile, on the skin and in internal tissues, they found special yeasts adapted to extremely low temperatures. Genetic analysis showed that these fungi are related to strains from Antarctica.
According to microbiologist Mohamed Sarhan, scientists are dealing with a unique symbiosis of microbes over five thousand years old and modern species. The mummy is stored at minus six degrees Celsius, which allows organic matter to remain stable without risk of degradation.