Novel bacterial species found trapped in Greenland's ice
Scientists have discovered a new ultra-small species of bacteria that has survived for more than 120,000 years within a Greenland glacier at a depth of nearly two miles. It is among the type of ultra-small bacteria that can pass through microbiological filters, including those used to prepare ultra-purified water for dialysis. Its study may help to reveal how life, in general, can exist in a variety of extreme environments on Earth and elsewhere. The discovery will be presented at a meeting of the American Society for Microbiology in Boston. (more)