An international team of scientists from South Africa, Japan and Germany has discovered nests of living microbes in 2-billion-year-old rocks. The find turned out to be the oldest colony of microorganisms locked in ancient rocks to date. The study was published in the scientific journal magazine Microbial Ecology (MicroEco).
The team examined cores from the Bushveld igneous complex in northeastern South Africa. Bushveld covers an area of about 66 thousand square kilometers, and its thickness reaches nine kilometers. The complex contains some of the richest ore deposits in the world, including approximately 70% of the world’s mined platinum.
The team used special techniques to confirm that the microbes were specific to the rock sample examined and did not result from contamination during drilling or exploration.
The scientists stained the DNA of microbial cells and used infrared spectroscopy to examine proteins in microbes in the surrounding clay. Tests confirmed that the microorganisms found were alive and genuine.
Researchers say the discovery of microbes living in 2-billion-year-old rocks raises hopes for similar discoveries on Mars and other planets.
Scientists before learned Identifies inactive pathogens of the fatal food infection Listeriosis.