Overview
- This week researchers publishing in Microbiome reported they recovered four cold‑tolerant yeast strains from Ötzi’s intestines, skin and internal meltwater and, after about three months of lab work, cultivated them into a robust sourdough starter.
- Genetic analyses found DNA damage patterns the authors say are comparable to other microbes in the samples and argue the yeasts may have colonized Ötzi soon after death.
- The team tested the yeasts’ functions and found they can degrade phenol, a chemical applied to Ötzi after his 1991 discovery, and say that ability could have bioremediation or industrial uses and that brewing tests are being considered.
- Independent scientists note the study relied on samples taken in 2010 and 2019 and warn that limited sampling leaves open the possibility the yeasts are more recent colonizers or contaminants rather than millennia‑old residents.
- Beyond yeasts, the wider microbiome shows bacteria linked to a high‑fiber, whole‑grain Bronze Age diet and supports the study’s broader claim that Ötzi is a dynamic micro‑ecosystem rather than a biologically frozen time capsule.