Overview
- Researchers isolated Psychrobacter SC65A.3 from a ~5,000-year-old layer in Scărișoara Ice Cave after drilling a 25‑meter core in the cave’s Great Hall and transporting samples in sterile, frozen conditions.
- The strain was tested against 28 antibiotics across 10 classes and proved resistant to 10, including rifampicin, vancomycin, and ciprofloxacin, with first‑reported Psychrobacter resistance to trimethoprim, clindamycin, and metronidazole.
- Genome sequencing revealed more than 100 resistance‑related genes along with nearly 600 genes of unknown function and 11 candidates with potential antimicrobial activity.
- Laboratory assays showed the bacterium can inhibit the growth of several antibiotic‑resistant pathogens, indicating prospects for novel enzymes and therapeutics alongside the risks.
- Findings were published in Frontiers in Microbiology, with authors urging expanded surveillance, further functional studies, and strict containment; there is no report of environmental release.