Tiny remnants of microorganisms were found trapped inside salt crystals from Central Australia, dating back to 830 million years. And there’s a slim chance that some of the microbes might still be alive.&nbsp;

A team of geologists discovered the single-celled organisms inside tiny fluid pockets in halite, or salt, from a formation of sedimentary rocks.

The researchers were unable to determine the precise species of these microorganisms, but Live Science reported quoting the researchers that it looks a lot like Dunaliella, a very common salt-loving algae found in both ancient and modern salty environments.

The organisms are tiny, ranging from half a micron to 5 microns in diameter—which is smaller than human hair.

The discovery is touted to be significant as it has implications for the search for ancient life in both terrestrial and extra-terrestrial chemical sedimentary rocks, especially on Mars where large salt deposits have been identified as evidence of ancient, large-scale liquid water reservoirs.

According to the scientists, the microorganisms lived nearly 1 billion years ago in what was either a shallow, salty marine environment or a shallow, salty lake.

The researchers discovered this ancient life by peering into the salt crystals using light microscopy, meaning they didn’t disturb the fluid pockets.

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But it begs the question of how these microorganisms managed to stay alive for billions of years.

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Explaining the mystery, the study’s co-author Sara Schreder-Gomes, who conducted the research while at West Virginia University, said these salt-loving microorganisms are survivors, capable of going dormant or otherwise altering their metabolisms to stay alive during times when the water around them dries up.

“The findings could be used to search for ancient aliens,” she said.

(With inputs from agencies)

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Tiny remnants of microorganisms were found trapped inside salt crystals from Central Australia, dating back to 830 million years. And there’s a slim chance that some of the microbes might still be alive.

Tiny remnants of microorganisms were found trapped inside salt crystals from Central Australia, dating back to 830 million years. And there’s a slim chance that some of the microbes might still be alive. A team of geologists discovered the single-celled organisms inside tiny fluid pockets in halite, or salt, from a formation of sedimentary rocks. The researchers were unable to determine the precise species of these microorganisms, but Live Science reported quoting the researchers that it looks a lot like Dunaliella, a very common salt-loving algae found in both ancient and modern salty environments. The organisms are tiny, ranging from half a micron to 5 microns in diameter—which is smaller than human hair. The discovery is touted to be significant as it has implications for the search for ancient life in both terrestrial and extra-terrestrial chemical sedimentary rocks, especially on Mars where large salt deposits have been identified as evidence of ancient, large-scale liquid water reservoirs. According to the scientists, the microorganisms lived nearly 1 billion years ago in what was either a shallow, salty marine environment or a shallow, salty lake. The researchers discovered this ancient life by peering into the salt crystals using light microscopy, meaning they didn’t disturb the fluid pockets. Also read | Scientists discover new enzyme that can chomp off plastic in record 16 hours But it begs the question of how these microorganisms managed to stay alive for billions of years. Also read | Voyager 1 sending weird signals from beyond solar system, engineers on edge Explaining the mystery, the study’s co-author Sara Schreder-Gomes, who conducted the research while at West Virginia University, said these salt-loving microorganisms are survivors, capable of going dormant or otherwise altering their metabolisms to stay alive during times when the water around them dries up. “The findings could be used to search for ancient aliens,” she said. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Key to study ancient life: Scientists find potentially alive 830-million-year-old microorganisms

The US state of Texas recently issued a disaster declaration after a six-year-old boy who was infected with a brain-eating amoeba died. The child died on September 8 after the brain-eating amoeba was found in the community’s water supply.&nbsp;

The amoeba in question - Naegleria Fowleri is a micro-organism which can live in freshwater bodies as well as unhygienic swimming pools. Once the amoeba enters the body through one’s nasal membranes, it goes straight for the brain, and causes migraines, vomiting, hyperthermia, and even hallucinations.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/do-not-drink-eight-cities-in-us-find-brain-eating-amoeba-in-tap-water-330593" hreflang="en">Do not drink: Eight cities in US find brain-eating amoeba in tap water</a>

Local media reported that traces of amoeba were found in the garden hose of the kid’s home. More traces were found in a fountain as well as a fire hydrant in an area which is merely an hour away from Houston.

Josiah McIntyre, the child possibly came in contact with contaminated water while playing at a splash park, according to his grandparents.

The park has been ordered shut, and an advisory has been commissioned warning people against using tap water for drinking, cooking, and bathing. Even though this advisory has been lifted since then, the authorities are urging people to boil water before using it.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/science/rare-case-of-brain-destroying-amoeba-confirmed-in-florida-310845" hreflang="en">Rare case of brain-destroying amoeba confirmed in Florida</a>

On Sunday, Texas Governor Greg Abbott had issued a disaster declaration for Brazoria County, which will enable authorities to use extra state resources due to the emergency.

The affected cities are Lake Jackson, Freeport, Angleton, Brazoria, Richwood, Oyster Creek, Clute and Rosenberg, Texas, along with the Dow Chemical plant in Freeport and the Clemens and Wayne Scott Texas Department of Criminal Justice corrections facilities.

These infections are rare, but can be fatal. As per the data provided by the CDC, nearly 145 people were infected from 1962 to 2018 and only four survived the infection.

The US state of Texas recently issued a disaster declaration after a six-year-old boy who was infected with a brain-eating amoeba died. The child died on September 8 after the brain-eating amoeba was found in the community’s water supply.

The US state of Texas recently issued a disaster declaration after a six-year-old boy who was infected with a brain-eating amoeba died. The child died on September 8 after the brain-eating amoeba was found in the community’s water supply. The amoeba in question - Naegleria Fowleri is a micro-organism which can live in freshwater bodies as well as unhygienic swimming pools. Once the amoeba enters the body through one’s nasal membranes, it goes straight for the brain, and causes migraines, vomiting, hyperthermia, and even hallucinations. Also read: Do not drink: Eight cities in US find brain-eating amoeba in tap water Local media reported that traces of amoeba were found in the garden hose of the kid’s home. More traces were found in a fountain as well as a fire hydrant in an area which is merely an hour away from Houston. Josiah McIntyre, the child possibly came in contact with contaminated water while playing at a splash park, according to his grandparents. The park has been ordered shut, and an advisory has been commissioned warning people against using tap water for drinking, cooking, and bathing. Even though this advisory has been lifted since then, the authorities are urging people to boil water before using it. Also read: Rare case of brain-destroying amoeba confirmed in Florida On Sunday, Texas Governor Greg Abbott had issued a disaster declaration for Brazoria County, which will enable authorities to use extra state resources due to the emergency. The affected cities are Lake Jackson, Freeport, Angleton, Brazoria, Richwood, Oyster Creek, Clute and Rosenberg, Texas, along with the Dow Chemical plant in Freeport and the Clemens and Wayne Scott Texas Department of Criminal Justice corrections facilities. These infections are rare, but can be fatal. As per the data provided by the CDC, nearly 145 people were infected from 1962 to 2018 and only four survived the infection.

United States: Brain-eating amoeba kills six-year-old boy in Texas

Scientists never stop surprising, for better or for worse. What seemed to have been a heavy year for bad news owing to the coronavirus pandemic, scientists may have just done the unthinkable.

A team at Japan’s Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology successfully revived microbes that had been lying on the ocean floor since the age of dinosaurs.

"Feed and multiply"

When resuscitated, the microbes were able to feed and also multiply.

Microorganisms can live for tens of millions of years without needing food or oxygen, and are sometimes called the planet’s most primitive species for that reason.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="/world/plastic-pollution-flowing-into-oceans-to-triple-by-2040-study-315624" hreflang="en">Plastic pollution flowing into oceans to triple by 2040: Study</a>

It is owing to such characteristics that scientists successfully brought them back to life in laboratory conditions.

To achieve this goal, the scientists picked up and analysed sediment samples from 100 million years ago, laying dormant in the seabed of the South Pacific.

<h6><img alt="This picture shows an Indian Ocean Crocodile fish lying on the sea bed at Marsa Murey diving site off the coasts of al-Quseir in the Egyptian Red Sea on October 8, 2018. " data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="e35f2bf7-a2f9-4a9a-9d8a-a02b72c4b6c2" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design-3_30.jpg" /> 
This picture shows an Indian Ocean Crocodile fish lying on the sea bed at Marsa Murey diving site off the coasts of al-Quseir in the Egyptian Red Sea on October 8, 2018. | AFP</h6>

The territory in question hosts lesser nutrients than normal, which is why the findings are so shocking, for the terrain cannot sustain life over long periods of time.

After attempting to incubate the samples of microbes, nearly all of them came back to life.

Scepticism&nbsp;

The lead author Yuki Morono told AFP that upon finding the results, they were sceptical of their findings. Many thought it could have been owing to an error or an experiment failure.

However, it wasn’t any of that. They had successfully brought back the microbes from their deep sleep.

Morono said, “We now know that there is no age limit for [organisms in the] sub-seafloor biosphere”.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="/science/subsurface-ocean-on-jupiters-moon-europa-deemed-potentially-habitable-308564" hreflang="en">Subsurface ocean on Jupiter's moon Europa deemed potentially 'habitable'</a>

These microbes were sought out by drilling into the seabed, which opened a peephole into the oldest sediment to ever exist.

Another author of the study said&nbsp;that even with the “least amount of food, there are still living organisms, and they can wake up, grow and multiply”.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="/world/ocean-bed-now-has-more-microplastics-than-ever-before-296144" hreflang="en">Ocean bed now has more microplastics than ever before</a>

But how did they survive for so long? Oxygen! Owing to the trapped oxygen in the sediments, microbes can survive for millions of years without needing anything else.

The microbes on the ocean floor anyway require less oxygen than the ones lingering on the surface.

However, this was not an ideal condition for life to sustain, which is why the results were so shocking to the scientists.

Studies undertaken earlier have exhibited how bacteria can live on world’s least hospitable places, even in areas that lack oxygen.

Scientists never stop surprising, for better or for worse. What seemed to have been a heavy year for bad news owing to the coronavirus pandemic, scientists may have just done the unthinkable.

Scientists never stop surprising, for better or for worse. What seemed to have been a heavy year for bad news owing to the coronavirus pandemic, scientists may have just done the unthinkable. A team at Japan’s Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology successfully revived microbes that had been lying on the ocean floor since the age of dinosaurs. "Feed and multiply" When resuscitated, the microbes were able to feed and also multiply. Microorganisms can live for tens of millions of years without needing food or oxygen, and are sometimes called the planet’s most primitive species for that reason. Also read: Plastic pollution flowing into oceans to triple by 2040: Study It is owing to such characteristics that scientists successfully brought them back to life in laboratory conditions. To achieve this goal, the scientists picked up and analysed sediment samples from 100 million years ago, laying dormant in the seabed of the South Pacific. This picture shows an Indian Ocean Crocodile fish lying on the sea bed at Marsa Murey diving site off the coasts of al-Quseir in the Egyptian Red Sea on October 8, 2018. | AFP The territory in question hosts lesser nutrients than normal, which is why the findings are so shocking, for the terrain cannot sustain life over long periods of time. After attempting to incubate the samples of microbes, nearly all of them came back to life. Scepticism The lead author Yuki Morono told AFP that upon finding the results, they were sceptical of their findings. Many thought it could have been owing to an error or an experiment failure. However, it wasn’t any of that. They had successfully brought back the microbes from their deep sleep. Morono said, “We now know that there is no age limit for [organisms in the] sub-seafloor biosphere”. Also read: Subsurface ocean on Jupiter's moon Europa deemed potentially 'habitable' These microbes were sought out by drilling into the seabed, which opened a peephole into the oldest sediment to ever exist. Another author of the study said that even with the “least amount of food, there are still living organisms, and they can wake up, grow and multiply”. Also read: Ocean bed now has more microplastics than ever before But how did they survive for so long? Oxygen! Owing to the trapped oxygen in the sediments, microbes can survive for millions of years without needing anything else. The microbes on the ocean floor anyway require less oxygen than the ones lingering on the surface. However, this was not an ideal condition for life to sustain, which is why the results were so shocking to the scientists. Studies undertaken earlier have exhibited how bacteria can live on world’s least hospitable places, even in areas that lack oxygen.

Dinosaur-era microbes lying dormant in ocean resuscitated by scientists

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