Latest news with #ISMEJournal
Sustainability Times
5 days ago
- Science
- Sustainability Times
'We Brought It Back to Life': Scientists Successfully Revive a 7,000-Year-Old Organism Frozen in Time and Mystery
IN A NUTSHELL 🌊 Researchers have revived microalgae from the Baltic Sea that lay dormant for nearly 7,000 years , revealing insights into ancient marine life. , revealing insights into ancient marine life. 🔬 The study published in The ISME Journal demonstrates how these organisms preserved in sediments offer a living snapshot of past ecosystems. demonstrates how these organisms preserved in sediments offer a living snapshot of past ecosystems. 🧬 Genetic analysis shows gradual adaptation over millennia, with ancient algae regaining normal photosynthetic activity upon revival. over millennia, with ancient algae regaining normal photosynthetic activity upon revival. 🌿 The research explores the concept of dormancy as a survival mechanism, highlighting potential applications in understanding climate resilience. In a groundbreaking scientific feat, researchers have awakened microalgae that have lain dormant for thousands of years in the sediments of the Baltic Sea. This unprecedented experiment offers an intriguing glimpse into the past and presents new opportunities to understand how marine ecosystems have evolved and adapted to climate change over millennia. The discovery, detailed in The ISME Journal, showcases the resilience of life and provides invaluable insights into both ancient and modern ecological dynamics. A Dive into the Ancient Marine World The concept of dormant organisms surviving extreme conditions is fascinating, especially when these life forms serve as natural archives of past ecosystems. In this study, scientists isolated strains of Skeletonema marinoi, a common diatom, from various geological layers of the Baltic Sea sediments. These organisms had been in a state of dormancy, deprived of light and oxygen, for nearly 7,000 years. By reviving them, researchers were able to directly study ancient life forms rather than rely solely on fossils. Genetic analyses of these algae revealed differences between ancient and modern populations, indicating a gradual adaptation over time. Remarkably, the resurrected algae resumed normal photosynthetic activity, demonstrating performance comparable to their contemporary descendants. This method, termed resurrection ecology, allows scientists to explore historical environmental conditions preserved within marine sediments, effectively acting as a time capsule. 'Ancient Gene Switch Flipped': Scientists Restore Limb Regeneration in Mice Using Dormant DNA Once Thought Lost Forever A Tool for Understanding the Future The rejuvenated algae, some dating back 6,871 years, demonstrated stable growth and intact oxygen production, underscoring their remarkable biological resilience despite millennia of inactivity. Researchers are now planning experiments to observe how these ancient strains react to various climate scenarios. By comparing these ancient and modern strains, scientists aim to gain insights into how past climate changes impacted phytoplankton and to better predict future marine ecosystem dynamics. The study emphasizes the importance of sediments in tracing the genetic history of species. Future research will delve deeper into the specific adaptations that have occurred over thousands of years. Understanding these evolutionary processes is crucial for predicting how current and future climate change might affect marine life. 'Trees Are Poisoning the Air': Shocking New Study Reveals Natural Plant Defenses May Be Making Pollution Worse Exploring Dormancy in Microalgae Dormancy is a widespread survival mechanism in the natural world, allowing organisms to endure unfavorable periods. In microalgae like Skeletonema marinoi, dormancy involves the formation of specialized cells with thick walls and energy reserves. These dormant stages can withstand the absence of light, oxygen, and extreme temperatures. When environmental conditions become favorable again, these cells initiate a metabolic awakening, reactivating cellular functions like photosynthesis and division. Unlike a simple pause, dormancy requires complex physiological adaptations, including the production of protective proteins. This strategy differs from sporulation or hibernation and is often linked to seasonal cycles. During winter, cells sink into sediments to avoid freezing, only to resurface in spring. Some strains, as evidenced by the Baltic Sea study, can remain inactive for millennia, raising questions about the limits of life. 'We Finally Found It': Scientists Reveal the Missing Half of the Universe's Matter Was Hiding in Plain Sight All Along Implications and Future Directions This discovery challenges our understanding of life's endurance. How do these organisms maintain cellular integrity over such extended periods? Are their repair mechanisms still active? These questions drive the field of resurrection ecology, which utilizes these microalgae as models to study extreme longevity. The implications of this research extend beyond marine biology, offering potential insights into climate resilience and the adaptability of life. As we continue to unlock the secrets of these ancient organisms, we are left to ponder the broader implications for our planet's future. How might these findings influence our strategies for preserving biodiversity amid changing climates? The answers may lie in the depths of our oceans, waiting to be discovered. Our author used artificial intelligence to enhance this article. Did you like it? 4.4/5 (28)
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Dormant algae revived after 7,000 years beneath the Baltic Sea, researchers say
Researchers have successfully revived algae that remained dormant within sediment at the bottom of the Baltic Sea for more than 7,000 years. The tiny diatom cells have regained full biological activity despite thousands of years beneath the seafloor without light or oxygen, according to the paper, published in the ISME Journal. MORE: Scientists discover 'legless, headless wonder' that predated the dinosaurs The specimen was extracted from sediment cores taken from a spot nearly 800 feet deep in the Eastern Gotland Deep in 2021, according to the paper. Many organisms, from bacteria to plankton to mammals, can go into "sleep mode," or dormancy, in order to survive periods of unfavorable environmental conditions -- switching to a state of reduced metabolic activity, according to the researchers. The dormancy often provides robust protective structures and internally stored energy reserves for the organisms. For phytoplankton, the organisms sink to the bottom of the ocean during dormancy, and they are eventually covered by sediment over time and preserved by the lack of oxygen. In a breakthrough experiment, researchers from the Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research Warnemünde were able to practice "'resurrection ecology" to return the plankton to full viability under favorable conditions, according to Sarah Bolius, phytoplankton expert at the institute and lead author of the study. The evolutionary biology technique involves reviving dormant organisms from lake sediments to study animals as they existed at the time they were buried in the sediment. The visible algae was able to be awakened from dormancy from nine sediment samples under favorable nutrient and light conditions, the researchers said. MORE: What scientists learned from a well-preserved fossil of this iconic Jurassic-era species Despite remaining dormant for several thousands of years, the phytoplankton specimens did not lose any of their "fitness" or biological performance ability, Bolius said in a statement. Even the oldest algae isolates can still actively produce oxygen, a measurement of photosynthetic performance found. Successful resurrections of dormant organisms have rarely been documented, according to the researchers. "This means that it is now possible to conduct 'time-jump experiments' into various stages of Baltic Sea development in the lab," Bolius said. Dormant stages of phytoplankton extracted from the Baltic Sea can be clearly assigned to specific periods due to the "clear stratification" of the Baltic Sea sediment, Bolius said in a statement. The diatom species Skeletonema marinoi was the only phytoplankton species revived from the samples. The species is common in the Baltic Sea and typically occurs during the spring bloom, according to the researchers. MORE: Well-preserved remains of saber-toothed kitten found frozen in Russian tundra, researchers say The researchers are hoping to use the findings to discover more about the environment at the time. They will compare the organisms to modern phytoplankton and also analyze other sediment components to draw conclusions about past salinity, oxygen and temperature conditions, according to the paper. The research has also shown that they can directly trace genetic changes over many millennia by analyzing living cells, rather than fossils or traces of DNA. "Such deposits are like a time capsule containing valuable information about past ecosystems and the inhabiting biological communities, their population development and genetic changes," Bolius said. Dormant algae revived after 7,000 years beneath the Baltic Sea, researchers say originally appeared on
