UPDATE- A 34,000 year old bacteria has come back from the dead and is breeding

UPDATE- A 34,000 year old bacteria has come back from the dead and is breeding

io9.com

Thirty-four millennia ago, some bacteria got trapped inside salt crystals in what is now Death Valley. These crystals were recently dug up and the bacteria freed from their hibernation...and then they started reproducing.


A few of the bacteria actually managed to reproduce. It wasn't many - only five of the 900 bacteria produced offspring - but microbes like this are choosy about where they'll reproduce even under normal circumstances, so some of the ancient bacteria might just not have liked their new environment. After 34,000 years in stasis, I suppose they've earned the right to be

(visit the link for the full news article)



Related AboveTopSecret.com Discussion Threads:
34,000-Year-Old Organisms Found Buried Alive!

Well they have started to reproduce. I wonder what risk if any this could pose. If these bacteria were in the environment 34,000 years ago then I think it stands to reason they would still have immediate relatives in the environment.

But still, it is very impressive to see that 5 of the cells were able to reproduce after such a long time. Im sure it will offer up something new for geneticist and age researchers to study.

io9.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

It makes you wonder what ancient bacteria is lurking below all the melting glaciers and ice shelves ready to spring back into life.

They must have some impressive DNA repair mechanisms, to keep it stable for 34,000 years. Possibly some implications for healthcare, there.

It would be ironic if these turned out to be some horrific flesh-eating disease that caused a mass extinction, and we're setting them loose... but I find that unlikely. Probably just one of the thousands upon thousands of free-living bacteria who never do anyone any harm.

Hopefully this is the long awaited Zombie bacteria that will attack the brain and turn every infected into a blood thirsty zombie.

Anyway, this is very interesting and hopefully will help us understand life a little more... and you never know this might help cure some disease!

Might want to change the misleading title, the bacteria was buried alive, essentially trapped inside salt crystals. This is a little different then coming back from the dead. Frogs and other animals as well as bacteria can hibernate, slowing their body systems to the point they are almost clinically dead, but they are very much alive.

This is still quite interesting seeing as some would have you believe the earth is only 6000 years old! I guess this bacteria is a test from god right?

Seriously though, is it wise to start playing around with this, I'm sure I've seen this movie and I don't recall it ending well.

reply to post by VonDoomen


OH Great!!! As if we had nothing else to worry about. Well why doesn't someone scoop the little buggers up and take them to Washington DC where they might do some good?

reply to post by phishybongwaters


well the rules for breaking news posts are to copy the headline exactly.

I just think dead was easier to put in the headline than explaining they were in "suspended animation"

not very concerned with one of these bugs escaping.

if they were common 34,000 yrs ago we probably still have resistance/immunity to it

when they start fiddling around with it's genome, is when I'll start worrying

like they did with the spanish flu, I mean.

These crystals were recently dug up

Why were they digging in Death Valley to begin with? Just curious.

great find

I wonder, would these bacteria be considered now the longest living organisms on the planet? And is the suspended animation they were in for 34000 years considered still alive.

Hopefully they have a spray bottle full of bleach handy just incase these little bacteria guys try something funny.

Boy, someone really wants us to believe that the end of the world is gonna happen...next year. All this brainwashing is incredible.

First of all, how the heck do they know that this virus is 34,000 years old? hahahahahah...come on now. The BS is starting to really get ridiculous. Second, how did they know the virus was there? Did they bring microscopes to the excavation site with them? hahahahahaha Third, how did they capture this virus? Where they using Microsoft Vista? hahahahahaha And, lastly, how do they know it's "alive"?

What is that smell??? Bull-dookie?

reply to post by VonDoomen



Good catch. S&F &

Check out this one from Hellmutt too:

Big Thaw Could Unleash Ancient Plague.

...So what happens when the old bugs meet the new bugs and start cross-breeding?

wow, both impressive and scary. I wonder if they had any clue as to what it was they were bringing back before they brought it back , it could be wonderful or it could be deadly.

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/eac6bb85cbd5.jpg[/atsimg]

Originally posted by jamiejames
Boy, someone really wants us to believe that the end of the world is gonna happen...next year. All this brainwashing is incredible.

First of all, how the heck do they know that this virus is 34,000 years old? hahahahahah...come on now. The BS is starting to really get ridiculous. Second, how did they know the virus was there? Did they bring microscopes to the excavation site with them? hahahahahaha Third, how did they capture this virus? Where they using Microsoft Vista? hahahahahaha And, lastly, how do they know it's "alive"?

What is that smell??? Bull-dookie?

Exactly what are you talking about?
Who is being brainwashed?
Those that see changes in the sun and magnetosphere?
Or those, like you, who bash people like that, and think nothing is happening?
I think you are the person ignoring what's going on in the world...

I believe your post to be ridiculous and trollish.
Therefore you can go back to acting as if nothing is happening.
If that's even what you are talking about.

Back to the OP, what is the update?
I'm curious...

reply to post by jamiejames


not a virus, bacteria

again it's 34,000 yrs old the rest of the world has been evolving for all that time so it probably wouldn't be a danger all by itself

Originally posted by jamiejames
Boy, someone really wants us to believe that the end of the world is gonna happen...next year. All this brainwashing is incredible.

First of all, how the heck do they know that this virus is 34,000 years old? hahahahahah...come on now. The BS is starting to really get ridiculous. Second, how did they know the virus was there? Did they bring microscopes to the excavation site with them? hahahahahaha Third, how did they capture this virus? Where they using Microsoft Vista? hahahahahaha And, lastly, how do they know it's "alive"?

What is that smell??? Bull-dookie?

Do you believe in mummified ancient egyptians etc? you know, the kind you see in museums... if you do then you believe how old they are also, yes?
Right then how do you think they find out the age of ancient artifacts/rocks/fossils etc?

This is just one method:Educate yourself...

I find this fascinating and exciting! I love learning new things Can't wait to see what secrets they hold!

breeding i thought it was traped in salt? this is new if its multiplying.

Since when did bacteria 'breed'? Single celled oganisms do not breed, they divide into two to replicate, it's called a-sexual reproduction.

I think!? (quick - where's the school biology link....)