2-billion-year-old rock home to living microbes

New research could help us understand very early life on Earth

Blurbed by Blurbs

8 Oct, 2024

Microbial cells stained green. This picture shows many tiny cells in which DNA is abundantly included inside the cells. First, the microbial cells were detected in fractures in the rock sample using an infrared imaging technique called O-PTIR spectroscopy. After that, they were stained with a green solution and analyzed using both a scanning electron microscope and then fluorescent microscopy. The combination of readings from these three imaging techniques enabled the researchers to confirm the indigenous and living microbial cells in the 2-billion-year-old rock fissure. © Y. Suzuki, S. J. Webb, M. Kouduka et al. 2024/ Microbial Ecology

Researchers have discovered living microbes within a sealed fracture of 2-billion-year-old rock from the Bushveld Igneous Complex in South Africa, marking the oldest known example of life found in ancient rock. The team refined a technique using infrared spectroscopy, electron microscopy, and fluorescent microscopy to confirm that these microbes are indigenous to the core sample and not the result of contamination during collection or analysis.

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