Scientists have thawed and revived several virus types from the Siberian permafrost in a laboratory. The oldest is 48,500 years old.
When the permafrost thaws, there is a risk of infection and deadly diseases that are extinct today will return. A French research team has, for research purposes, thawed and revived various types of viruses in Siberia, writes New technique.
In seven samples from the permafrost, the researchers have characterized 13 different viruses according to a new study. Among these is a virus that is 48,500 years old, which is a world record. That sample was retrieved 16 meters below the bottom of a lake in the Sakha Republic of Russia.
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