Ancient ice cave bacteria show resistance to modern antibiotics

Researchers sequenced a bacterial strain, Psychrobacter SC65A.3, from Romania's Scarisoara Ice Cave and reported genes for resistance to multiple modern antibiotic classes in a paper in Frontiers in Microbiology; the team says the strain also produces antimicrobial compounds and will pursue biochemical analysis.

Researchers report that a bacterial strain recovered from a layer of ice in Romania's Scarisoara Ice Cave has genetic resistance to multiple modern antibiotics. The strain, identified as Psychrobacter SC65A.3, was encased for at least 5,000 years and its genome analysis appears in Frontiers in Microbiology. Scientists say the result underscores that antimicrobial resistance can exist naturally and raises questions about how ancient resistance genes relate to modern bacterial ecosystems. The research team also reports preliminary antimicrobial activity from the strain and plans further biochemical analysis. Key findings: - Psychrobacter SC65A.3 was isolated from ice in the Scarisoara Ice Cave and dated to at least 5,000 years old. - Genome analysis published in Frontiers in Microbiology found genes associated with resistance to ten classes of modern antibiotics. - Researchers noted the possibility that such resistance genes could spread to other bacteria, and also reported that the strain shows antimicrobial activity against some resistant bacteria. - The team plans biochemical analysis to characterize compounds produced by the strain and assess their properties. Summary: The study shows an ancient bacterium carrying genes linked to resistance against multiple antibiotic classes, which researchers say could both pose a risk of gene transfer and offer potential sources of new antimicrobial compounds. Further implications for public health and microbial ecology remain undetermined at this time.