{"id":1971460,"date":"2026-06-04T06:39:38","date_gmt":"2026-06-04T03:39:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1971460"},"modified":"2026-06-04T06:39:38","modified_gmt":"2026-06-04T03:39:38","slug":"scientists-discover-5000-year-old-cold-loving-yeasts-living-within-otzi-the-iceman-and-use-them-to-make-sourdough","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1971460","title":{"rendered":"Scientists Discover 5,000-Year-Old Cold-Loving Yeasts Living Within \u00d6tzi the Iceman and Use Them to Make Sourdough"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<figure id=\"attachment_409120\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-409120\" style=\"width: 1920px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-409120 lazyload\" src=\"image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAoAAAAGrAQMAAABqgLQIAAAABlBMVEUAAAD\/\/\/+l2Z\/dAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAAAlwSFlzAAAOxAAADsQBlSsOGwAAADhJREFUeNrtwTEBAAAAwqD1T+1tB6AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAADgDIcbAAEnbF1FAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC\" alt width=\"640\" height=\"427\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/IMG_3749.jpeg?resize=640%2C427&amp;ssl=1\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/IMG_3749.jpeg?w=1920&amp;ssl=1 1920w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/IMG_3749.jpeg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/IMG_3749.jpeg?resize=1200%2C800&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/IMG_3749.jpeg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/IMG_3749.jpeg?resize=1536%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/IMG_3749.jpeg?w=1280&amp;ssl=1 1280w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-eio-rwidth=\"640\" data-eio-rheight=\"427\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-409120\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/IMG_3749.jpeg?resize=640%2C427&amp;ssl=1\" alt width=\"640\" height=\"427\" data-eio=\"l\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-409120\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Microbiologist Mohamed Sarhan is examining colonies of yeast taken from a sample of \u00d6tzi\u2019s stomach. |<br \/>Credit: Eurac Research | Andrea De Giovanni<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"code-block code-block-1\" style=\"margin: 8px auto;text-align: center;display: block;clear: both\">\n<!-- GAM 71161633\/SNWBR_snowbrains\/article_hrec_1 --><\/p>\n<div data-fuse=\"article_hrec_1\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>More than 5,000 years after his death in the Alps, \u00d6tzi the Iceman is still hosting life. <\/strong>Researchers at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurac.edu\/en\/magazine\/otzi-and-his-microbiome-a-detailed-picture-of-the-microbial-community-associated-with-otzi\">Eurac Research<\/a> in Italy have completed the most detailed analysis yet of the microorganisms associated with the world\u2019s most famous glacier mummy, revealing a surprisingly complex ecosystem that includes ancient gut bacteria and cold-loving yeasts that may have accompanied \u00d6tzi since the Copper Age.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The findings, published in the journal <a href=\"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/article\/10.1186\/s40168-026-02417-6\"><em>Microbiome<\/em><\/a>, provide new insight into both ancient human biology and the unique microbial communities that can survive in extreme cold environments.<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Related: <a href=\"https:\/\/snowbrains.com\/melting-austrian-glacier-reveals-world-war-ii-parachute-remnants-from-secret-u-s-spy-mission\/\"><strong><em>Melting Glacier Reveals World War I Parachute from Secret U.S. Spy Mission<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>\u00d6tzi was discovered in 1991 by hikers high in the \u00d6tztal Alps near the border of Austria and Italy after emerging from glacial ice.<\/strong> Radiocarbon dating later determined that he had died approximately 5,300 years ago, making him one of the best-preserved natural mummies ever found.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_409121\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-409121\" style=\"width: 1920px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-409121 lazyload\" src=\"image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAoAAAAGrAQMAAABqgLQIAAAABlBMVEUAAAD\/\/\/+l2Z\/dAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAAAlwSFlzAAAOxAAADsQBlSsOGwAAADhJREFUeNrtwTEBAAAAwqD1T+1tB6AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAADgDIcbAAEnbF1FAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC\" alt width=\"640\" height=\"427\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/IMG_3750.jpeg?resize=640%2C427&amp;ssl=1\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/IMG_3750.jpeg?w=1920&amp;ssl=1 1920w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/IMG_3750.jpeg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/IMG_3750.jpeg?resize=1200%2C800&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/IMG_3750.jpeg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/IMG_3750.jpeg?resize=1536%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/IMG_3750.jpeg?w=1280&amp;ssl=1 1280w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-eio-rwidth=\"640\" data-eio-rheight=\"427\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-409121\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/IMG_3750.jpeg?resize=640%2C427&amp;ssl=1\" alt width=\"640\" height=\"427\" data-eio=\"l\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-409121\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">One of the scientists touching \u00d6tzi\u2019s hand. | Credit: South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology\/Eurac Research\/Marion Lafogle<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>To understand the microorganisms associated with the mummy, researchers analyzed ice from \u00d6tzi\u2019s surface, meltwater from inside the body, skin swabs, stomach contents, tissue samples, and even a soil sample collected from the discovery site in 1991.<\/strong> The comprehensive investigation allowed scientists to distinguish between microbes that were present during \u00d6tzi\u2019s lifetime and those that colonized the mummy after death.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Among the most significant discoveries was genetic material from \u00d6tzi\u2019s original gut microbiome.<\/strong> Researchers found bacterial communities that closely resemble those identified in ancient human populations and are rarely seen in people living in modern industrialized societies.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The study also revealed several species of cold-adapted yeasts living within the mummy\u2019s environment.<\/strong> These microorganisms were recovered from skin samples, stomach contents, and meltwater extracted from inside the body.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Genetic analysis showed that the yeasts are related to strains found in some of Earth\u2019s coldest environments, including Antarctica.<\/strong> Scientists believe they originated in the glacier environment and may have remained associated with the mummy for thousands of years. \u201cWe see continuity here,\u201d said Frank Maixner, director of the Institute for Mummy Studies at Eurac Research. \u201cThese yeasts have accompanied \u00d6tzi on his long journey through the millennia.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Researchers discovered both heavily degraded ancient DNA and well-preserved modern DNA, suggesting the microorganisms are not simply remnants of the past but may still persist under \u00d6tzi\u2019s current storage conditions.<\/strong> The mummy is preserved at -6\u00b0C (21\u00b0F) in a high-humidity chamber at the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology in Bolzano, Italy.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The findings challenge the idea of the mummy as a static archaeological artifact. <\/strong>\u201c\u00d6tzi is not a static relic, but a dynamic biological system,\u201d Maixner said.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_409122\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-409122\" style=\"width: 1200px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-409122 lazyload\" src=\"image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAoAAAAHDAQMAAACOJzk\/AAAABlBMVEUAAAD\/\/\/+l2Z\/dAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAAAlwSFlzAAAOxAAADsQBlSsOGwAAADpJREFUeNrtwTEBAAAAwqD1T20ND6AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAADg1jrMAATujhgkAAAAASUVORK5CYII=\" alt width=\"640\" height=\"451\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/IMG_3751.webp?resize=640%2C451&amp;ssl=1\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/IMG_3751.webp?w=1200&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/IMG_3751.webp?resize=300%2C211&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/IMG_3751.webp?resize=768%2C541&amp;ssl=1 768w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-eio-rwidth=\"640\" data-eio-rheight=\"451\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-409122\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/IMG_3751.webp?resize=640%2C451&amp;ssl=1\" alt width=\"640\" height=\"451\" data-eio=\"l\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-409122\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">\u00d6tzi\u2019 the Iceman. | Credit: South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology\/Eurac Research\/Marion Lafogler.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"code-block code-block-2\" style=\"margin: 8px auto;text-align: center;display: block;clear: both\">\n<!-- GAM 71161633\/SNWBR_snowbrains\/article_hrec_2 --><\/p>\n<div data-fuse=\"article_hrec_2\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>One unexpected finding involved conservation treatments used after \u00d6tzi\u2019s discovery.<\/strong> Researchers found that three of the four yeast species possess genes capable of breaking down phenol, a compound previously used to suppress fungal growth on the mummy. Scientists believe the yeasts may have used the chemical as a food source, potentially benefiting from efforts intended to eliminate microorganisms. \u201cA mummy\u2019s microbiome is unique because we are dealing with microbes that are over 5,000 years old and, at the same time, with modern microbes that have been introduced since the discovery,\u201d said microbiologist and lead author Mohamed Sarhan.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Beyond archaeology and conservation, the research may have practical applications.<\/strong> Because the yeasts remain active at extremely low temperatures, scientists are exploring whether they could be used in energy-efficient industrial processes. Early experiments have already produced encouraging results. Sarhan and his team successfully adapted one of the yeasts to create a sourdough starter capable of fermenting dough at low temperatures. \u201cWe made some really good dough with it,\u201d Sarhan said.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Researchers are now exploring potential applications in bread making, brewing, and other fermentation industries, where microorganisms that remain active in cold conditions could reduce energy requirements and create new production methods.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>It\u2019s remarkable that a 5,000-year-old microbial community could still help shape modern food and industrial processes.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><!-- CONTENT END 1 -->\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Microbiologist Mohamed Sarhan is examining colonies of yeast taken from a sample of \u00d6tzi\u2019s stomach. |Credit: Eurac Research | Andrea De Giovanni More than 5,000 years after his death in the Alps, \u00d6tzi the Iceman is still hosting life. Researchers at Eurac Research in Italy have completed the most detailed analysis yet of the microorganisms [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,267],"class_list":["post-1971460","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-snowbrains-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1971460","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1971460"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1971460\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1971460"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1971460"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1971460"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}