It is said that he succeeded in reviving a nematode that had been dormant for about 46,000 years in the permafrost of Siberia.paperwas published in the scientific journal PLOS Genetics on the 27th. The results of the research raise concerns about the emergence of pathogens and other dangerous organisms as the permafrost thaws on Earth due to climate change.
Found in permafrost 40 meters underground, the nematode survived the harsh environment by entering a state of dormancy called cryptobiosis. Radiocarbon dating of plant remnants from the same site found them to be from the late Pleistocene, 45,839 to 47,769 years ago.
This is the longest period in which nematodes survived cryptobiosis to date. The nematode is a new species, named Panagrolaimus kolymaensis.
C. elegans recovered from 46,000 years of dormancy in permafrost (A. Shatilovich, VR Gade, et al. 2023, PLOS Genetics)
However, organisms other than nematodes have been confirmed to have survived for even longer periods. Bacteria of the genus Bacillus, which are pathogenic bacteria, have been found to have survived for tens of millions of years in a state called spores.
Many scientists are concerned that dangerous pathogens, like this nematode, could emerge from long periods of dormancy. Many of these pathogens have been frozen for thousands of years and may be of the kind to which modern humans have no immunity.
As human-induced climate change causes glaciers and permafrost to melt, concerns about the emergence of pathogens are growing.Also on the 27th, it was published in the scientific journal PLOS Computational Biologyanother paperThese concerns were highlighted.
The study used software developed by Michigan State University to simulate a scenario in which an ancient pathogen might emerge in modern times. As a result, it was shown that many of the pathogens continued to survive and evolve, and about 3% became the dominant species in the new environment.
Cory Bradshaw, a professor at Flinders University in Australia, who participated in the study, said the results of the study showed that the risk of new pathogens emerging “is no longer a fantasy without the need to prepare countermeasures.” there is However, more research is needed to clarify the severity of the risks and the necessary precautions.
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2023-07-30 01:00:46
