Exciting discovery in the depths of a Canadian mine

Scientists found live microbes 2.4 kilometers below the surface of a Canadian mine, sheltered from the sun and fresh air.

Scientists believe that the presence of sulfates in ancient groundwater has contributed to the preservation of these microbial life forms, in which microorganisms breathe sulphate instead of oxygen. .

Until recently, it was impossible to find life at such depths because of the absence of chemical components that normally support living organisms.

"Even in the modern scientific era, I think the planet's biosphere is a thin crust on the surface or near its surface, where life depends primarily on photosynthesis to flourish", have writes the scientists in their article.

But this hypothesis has changed: scientists have studied samples taken from the depths of the mine, looked for signs of metabolic activity and, after adding food sources to the feeder cells taken from the samples, the samples were taken. The research team discovered that the food was already being processed.

"It's great to be able to discover the microbial life there," said geologist Barbara Sherwood of the University of Toronto in Canada.

The study supports earlier work by the same researchers, who found microbes living in these waters, rich in hydrogen and sulphates. We now know that the life cycle continues.

Although bacteria living at the bottom of the mine may not have much impact on daily life, they help to better understand what life is like and how it can survive even in the most hostile environments. The study was published in the Journal of Biology.

Source: ScienceArt

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