"Ancient cryospheric environments may preserve overlooked reservoirs of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and bioactive potential. This study reports the first whole-genome sequencing and functional characterization of Psychrobacter sp. SC65A.3 isolated from 5,000-year-old ice from Scărișoara Ice Cave, revealing a multidrug-resistance phenotype alongside antimicrobial activity. The ancient Psychrobacter SC65A.3 strain is a perfect example of how these natural processes lead to antibiotic resistance."
""The 10 antibiotics we found resistance to are widely used in oral and injectable therapies used to treat a range of serious bacterial infections in clinical practice," including tuberculosis, colitis, and urinary tract infections, Purcarea explained. "If melting ice releases these microbes, these genes could spread to modern bacteria, adding to the global challenge of antibiotic resistance," Purcarea said. As the global temperature rises, the risk of releasing ancient superbugs into the environment grows."
Psychrobacter sp. SC65A.3 was isolated from 5,000-year-old ice in Scărișoara Ice Cave and underwent whole-genome sequencing and functional characterization. The isolate exhibits a multidrug-resistance phenotype alongside measurable antimicrobial activity. Tests and genomic analyses identified resistance to ten clinically used antibiotics, including agents used against tuberculosis, colitis, and urinary tract infections. Cryospheric environments can harbor ancient antimicrobial-resistance genes and bioactive compounds. Melting ice could release viable microbes or resistance genes into contemporary ecosystems, increasing opportunities for horizontal gene transfer and potentially exacerbating the global challenge of antibiotic resistance as climate warming accelerates.
Read at Esquire
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]