New study reveals 5,000-year-old bacteria showing resistance to modern antibiotics

Researchers have achieved a major breakthrough involving bacteria found in an underground cave that has retained the ability to survive antibiotics exposure for 5,000 years. The bacteria were discovered deep within the Scarisoara Cave, one of Romania’s largest ice caves preserved under a 5,000-year-old layer of ice.

Teams performed experiments by drilling a 25-meter ice core from the area of the cave known as the Great Hall. Researchers analysed ice fragments from this section to isolate distinct bacterial strains and map their genomes, discovering that these microbes have adapted to survive in extremely low temperatures.

In this connection, Christina Purcarea, author of the study and scientist at the Institute of Biology Bucharest of the Romanian Academy said: “The Psychrobacter SC65A.3 bacterial strain isolated from Scarisoara Ice Cave, despite its ancient origin, shows resistance to multiple modern antibiotics and carries over 100 resistance-related genes.”

In line with previous studies, researchers analysed other strains of Psychrobacter bacteria, mainly for their biotechnological potential, but the antibiotic resistance profiles of these bacteria are largely unknown.”

The results published in Frontiers in Microbiology, demonstrate that 20 percent of Earth’s surface consists of frozen habitats with low temperatures characterizing much of the biosphere. These findings are crucial for better understanding cold-adapted microbes as climate change continues to impact these environments.

Several factors have contributed to the rise of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) across the region. Europe faces an aging population that is increasingly susceptible to infections. 

Furthermore, drug-resistant pathogens are disseminating across borders, doctors and the excessive use of antibiotics-combined with deficiencies in infection prevention and control effects has worsened the crisis. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) causes millions of deaths every year. In Europe alone, it is estimated that over 354,000 yearly deaths could occur annually, a figure expected to rise in the coming years.