The Perfect Bread Starter: Scientists Revive Yeast from a 5,000-Year-Old Mummy

Scientists have made a unique discovery using biological materials from a 5,000-year-old mummy of the Iceman. Researchers found a colony of ancient cold-resistant yeast on the mummified body, which was discovered by tourists in the Austrian Alps back in 1991, and decided to test its properties in culinary applications.

According to Daily Star.

Successful Experiment

Researchers from the Eurac Research Institute of Mummy Studies decided to test the colony of microorganisms that had adapted to extreme temperature conditions. Microbiologist Mohamed Sarhan and his team extracted these yeasts to see if they could serve as the basis for creating a conventional edible starter after millennia in ice. This experiment exceeded all expectations of the scientists.

"It worked. As dough, it was very, very good," said Mohamed Sarhan.

The researcher also added that in the future, similar ancient microorganisms could be cultivated on an industrial scale for the production of baked goods or beer.

Secrets of the Oldest Mummy in Europe

Ötzi is considered the oldest known natural mummy in Europe. It has been established that the man, who stood about 160 centimeters tall, was likely killed by an arrow at around the age of 40. His body lay in a glacier in the Ötztal Alps on the border of Austria and Italy for about 5,300 years, and after its discovery, it has been continuously preserved in a special refrigeration chamber at a temperature of minus 6 degrees. Forensic analysis showed that shortly before his death, he consumed meat and wheat.

Despite millennia in ice and modern storage conditions, bacteria continue to colonize Ötzi's remains. Scientists found microbes in his intestines that are today most commonly found only in non-sterilized communities, such as the Hadza hunter-gatherers in Tanzania. At the same time, microbiologists noted that modern microorganisms have appeared on the Iceman's body, accidentally introduced during conservation efforts, so Dr. Sarhan's team is studying whether this unusual coexistence of ancient and new bacteria affects the preservation of the unique mummy.

It is worth noting that in Antarctica, scientists found ice that is about 6 million years old. Bubbles of ancient air preserved within it may reveal what Earth's atmosphere was like millions of years ago.