Overview
- A peer-reviewed Microbiome study reports that researchers cultured four cold-adapted yeast genera from Ötzi’s remains and revived one strain well enough to use it to make a successful sourdough loaf.
- The authors found DNA-damage patterns they interpret as consistent with age and reported a marked rise in Glaciozyma when comparing samples from 2010 and 2019, which they say could indicate recent or ongoing growth.
- External experts caution the evidence is limited because the study relied on two time points and did not perform activity-specific assays such as RNA sequencing or metabolic tests that would show in situ activity.
- The team also identified microbial genes tied to breakdown of proteins, fats and collagen and enzymes that can degrade phenol, prompting calls from museum scientists for routine microbial monitoring and a reassessment of preservation protocols.
- Reporters and researchers note possible practical uses for cold-active yeasts in lower-temperature fermentation and energy-saving food processes, but those applications are preliminary and have provoked public and ethical debate over using microbes from human remains.