'Bold Traveler' Bacterium Finally Captured After 10-Year Global Search

Russian scientists have discovered a new genus of bacteria in the underground waters of Western Siberia and, at the same time, managed to "capture” a microorganism that researchers around the world had been hunting for, TASS reports citing the Ministry of Science and Higher Education.

New Bacterial Genus Discovered in Extreme Conditions

The study was conducted by specialists from Tomsk State University. They examined samples of water and deep geological formations across several regions of Siberia. Unexpectedly, it turned out that previously unknown groups of bacteria inhabit these extreme environments.

The new genus was named Desulfosceptrum tomskiensis, while the family was designated Desulfosceptrumaceae. The name reflects both the shape of the cells, which resemble a scepter, and the region where they were discovered.

'Bold Traveler' Bacterium Finally Isolated

However, the most significant finding came next. Scientists succeeded in isolating the bacterium Desulforudis audaxviator, known as the "bold traveler.”

Its DNA had been detected before, but researchers had been unable to cultivate the organism itself in laboratory conditions for nearly a decade.

This marks the first successful isolation of the microorganism, achieved by Russian scientists.

Ancient Genome Challenges Evolutionary Assumptions

According to the researchers, the genome of this bacterium has remained virtually unchanged since the time of Pangaea — the supercontinent that existed approximately 335 to 175 million years ago. This discovery challenges conventional views of evolution.

Scientists believe the microorganism may have originally descended underground from the surface and subsequently adapted perfectly to extreme conditions.

The research was conducted with support from the Russian Science Foundation. The findings have already been published in an international scientific journal and may contribute to the study of life in extreme environments, including the search for life beyond Earth.