Scientists find yeast in frozen mummy's guts, use it to make bread
Summary
Scientists found living yeast in the frozen body of a 5,300-year-old mummy named Oetzi the Iceman. They used this ancient yeast to successfully bake sourdough bread, showing that some microbes can survive thousands of years in cold conditions.Key Facts
- Oetzi the Iceman died over 5,300 years ago and was found frozen in the Alps in 1991.
- His body has been kept at minus six degrees Celsius since discovery to preserve it.
- Scientists discovered four types of yeast living in his gut and on his skin that can survive freezing temperatures.
- These yeasts likely entered Oetzi’s body shortly after his death and have been living there since.
- The yeast was used to make sourdough bread in a laboratory, taking three months to produce a good loaf.
- The yeast can consume phenol, a chemical used when the body was treated, suggesting possible use in breaking down pollutants.
- The study also found ancient gut bacteria in Oetzi’s microbiome that are rare in modern people but present in some indigenous tribes.
- This research gives insight into ancient human life and the microbes that lived with early people.
Read the Full Article
This is a fact-based summary from The Actual News. Click below to read the complete story directly from the original source.