Russian scientists report new DNA under subglacial Lake Vostok

Russian scientists are reporting to Russian State Media, RIA Novosti, that they found new signs of life after examining water samples from the subglacial Lake Vostok. They have been looking for the samples since Jan. 10, when they extracted an ice core from the area.

Source

This could be scary. A new form of bacteria could certainly initiate a new form of disease which might necessitate a new form of anti-biotic. The scenario has been the subject of many a sci-fi novel and movie (remember The Andromeda Strain, anyone?)

The researchers said that seven species of bacteria were found in the frozen water in 2012. The DNA match to any known organisms never went past 86 percent, so it is considered to be an unknown form of life. Anything under 90 percent is considered enough to designate a new species.

New bacteria species, or a totally new DNA (or RNA)??

Andromeda strain! Are they callin it that? Should!

Interesting from a biology point of view, but could be dangerous too.

If it's something that has remained separate from the majority of other life on this planet from many thousands of years, if it got loose there's a real danger of unpredictable possibly catastrophic damage to either our ecosystem or even ourselves as a species.

That's not sci-fi either.

If this bacteria is radically different from anything else catalogued, it could alter or wipe out anything from Algae. which would have a disasterous knock on effect for marine life, or the same effect on our crops, or other animals including Humans.

Or it might do nothing negative at all. It might even do something positive.

They want to make sure they are taking every security precaution they can, just in case.

Originally posted by KamaSutra
New bacteria species, or a totally new DNA (or RNA)??

Andromeda strain! Are they callin it that? Should!

Me think it should be call the.................Zoombie Strain..........
Ya little guy play GOD again..

reply to post by Shadoefax
Scientists, for all their knowledge and education, still haven't learned the simple lesson that the rest of us learn when we are still small children: Just because you CAN do something doesn't mean that you should do it!

Originally posted by MysterX
Or it might do nothing negative at all. It might even do something positive.

That's what I'm hoping. New medicines are constantly being developed from newly discovered (and long-known) plant life or microbes. This will be more ammunition for chemists and biologists searching for cures from the common cold to cancer and HIV.

Originally posted by littled16
reply to post by Shadoefax

 

Scientists, for all their knowledge and education, still haven't learned the simple lesson that the rest of us learn when we are still small children: Just because you CAN do something doesn't mean that you should do it!

Next time you or a loved one need medicine or life saving surgery be sure and point that out to the doctor.

If it wasn't for mankind's inate curiosity and willingness to try different stuff and look into the unknown, we would be still sitting in caves fearful of thunder and trepanning each other. And if your ancestors applied the same logic to sex you wouldn't exist at all.
They could, they did, and you are.

reply to post by littled16


Disagree. Scientists MUST push the boundries of investigating. How else will new discoveries be made???

reply to post by Shadoefax


I hope they keep this one under "lock and key" for the safety of humanity (should it be dangerous)

Otherwise this should be very interesting!!!!!

Its the Blob and now that they've tampered with it, it will grow in their lab then escape and eat the world
Zombies ain't got poop on this stuff

I guess this article was missed.

Russia admits no new life form found in Antarctic lake

Sergei Bulat of the genetics laboratory at the Saint Petersburg Institute of Nuclear Physics had said Thursday that samples obtained from the underground Lake Vostok in May 2012 contained a bacteria bearing no resemblance to existing types. But the head of the genetics laboratory at the same institute said on Saturday that the strange life forms were in fact nothing but contaminants. "We found certain specimen, although not many. All of them were contaminants" that were brought there by the lab during research, Vladimir Korolyov told the Interfax news agency. "That is why we cannot say that previously-unknown life was found," he said. Lake Vostok is the largest subglacial lake in Antarctica and scientists have long wanted to study its eco-system. The Russian team last year drilled almost four kilometres (2.34 miles) to reach the lake and take the samples. Russia had been hoping to discover a new life form at the pristine site and the drilling was of major importance for the prestige to the country's science programme. Russian leader Vladimir Putin was even given a sample of Lake Vostok water after the drilling was performed. Read more at: phys.org...

phys.org...

Or it could be some big cover-up.
Who is to say,right?

reply to post by Shadoefax


....or, it could be good in that maybe it will kill off existing bacteria that's harmful. I want to look at the positive sides of new findings. Because , we need help quite frankly. We need help as a "species".

Originally posted by HumansEh

If it wasn't for mankind's inate curiosity and willingness to try different stuff and look into the unknown, we would be still sitting in caves fearful of thunder and trepanning each other. And if your ancestors applied the same logic to sex you wouldn't exist at all.

While true that mankind's innate curiosity has given us many wondrous things we must also accept the fact that it has also given us horrible things as well. A child may poke a stick at a poisonous snake out of curiosity many times without being bitten, but if he keeps poking at the snake sooner or later it will strike.

While studying this "new" bacterial life form scientists could possibly discover a cure for any number of diseases or they could discover a rapid spreading plague that could wipe out humanity- or neither. My hope is that their curiosity produces the former rather than the latter, but as scientists are only human and will make mistakes I cannot help but be concerned. No safety measures are 100% foolproof and breaches do occur- more often than anyone would like to admit.