Why?? Scientists revive 40,000-year-old ancient virus with 'pandemic potential' from Arctic ice

In something right out of a sci-fi horror movie, scientists have revived an ancient infectious lifeform that could potentially piggyback on an animal and eventually cause the next human pandemic. These microorganisms were reportedly frozen in Alaska for nearly 40,000 years. But now,researchers from the University of Colorado Boulder thawed samples of ancient permafrost — a mixture of frozen soil, rock, and ice — and found that once warmed, the microbes slowly returned to life.

How were the dormant ancient viruses brought to life?

At first, nothing happened. But within months, the long-dormant microorganisms began forming thriving colonies, prompting concerns about what else could awaken as the Arctic melts, according to the Daily Mail.

“These are not dead samples by any means,” said Dr Tristan Caro, a geoscientist who led the study published in Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences.

The microbes, invisible to the naked eye, were collected from Alaska’s Permafrost Research Tunnel near Fairbanks — an underground passage known as an “icy graveyard.” Scientists incubated the samples at temperatures between 3°C and 12°C to simulate a warming Arctic summer.

Within six months, microbial communities had transformed dramatically, forming biofilms — slimy layers of bacteria that are hard to eliminate.

Can these ancient viruses infect humans?

While these microbes “likely couldn’t infect people,” researchers warned they could still pose serious risks, said the team behind their resurrection. As they reawaken, they release carbon dioxide and methane — greenhouse gases that accelerate climate change.

However, longer, warmer Arctic summers could supercharge this process, Dr Caro said. “You might have a single hot day in the Alaskan summer, but what matters much more is the lengthening of the summer season to where these warm temperatures extend into the autumn and spring.”

The ability of these microorganisms to survive tens of thousands of years raises deeper concerns. Experts fear that melting permafrost could one day expose ancient bacteria or viruses capable of infecting modern hosts.

Dr Brigitta Evengård, an infectious disease expert from Sweden, cautioned that permafrost could release antibiotic-resistant bacteria. “The two that we know could come out of the permafrost are anthrax and pox viruses; other than that, it’s Pandora's box,” she told Greenpeace.

Another study, published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, found that melting glaciers increase the risk of “viral spillover” — when a virus jumps to a new host species. As meltwater flows into Arctic lakes, ancient pathogens could find new routes to infect animals, or even humans.