As if it were the plot of a science fiction movie ending in disaster, a group of scientists set about bringing to life a collection of microbes that had lain dormant for more than 100 million years.
The depths of the seabed were the place where scientists found the population of microorganisms that had been in a state of hibernation since the time of the dinosaurs.
It was there that 10 years ago scientists obtained a sample of the sediment as part of the expedition to the South Pacific Gyre, a region located in the enormous expanse of ocean between Australia and South America, considered the furthest from the mainland that may exist. in the planet.
In the process of obtaining the sample, the scientists drilled a series of sediment cores covering an area of ​​100 m on the seabed, which in turn is almost 6 thousand meters below the surface of the ocean. This area strongly attracted the attention of the scientists in charge, considering it highly inert due to the low presence of nutrients.
Later, the scientists were able to detect oxygen in all the nuclei, this being an element that could serve as sustenance for the microbes to live as the sediment formed and this managed to filter until the end.
To verify this, the scientists proceeded to incubate some samples of the sediment, supplying it with the necessary nutrients.
In effect, the action caused the microbes to react by moving almost all of them, including those of greater antiquity. In the end, the scientists confirmed that 99.1% of the microorganisms from 101.5 million years came to life and managed to feed when given food.
In reference to this result, study co-author Steven D’Hondt expressed
The most exciting thing about this study is that it shows that there are no limits to life in the world’s ancient ocean sediment. [] In the oldest sediment we have drilled, with the least amount of food, there are still living organisms, and they can awaken, grow and multiply
Hopefully this helps advance the field of biology and medicine, although surely there are already thousands of comments on the web alarmed at the idea of ​​resurrecting something like that.
