Buried for Millennia, Scientists Coax 7,000-Year-Old Algae Back to Life

Scientists have resurrected 7,000-year-old phytoplankton, making it one of the oldest organisms to ever be revived. But I know what you’re thinking: Since when can we bring life back from the dead? The phytoplankton—tiny photosynthetic marine algae—weren’t dead, but in a deep “sleep mode” known as dormancy. As detailed in a study published in early January in The ISME Journal, an international team of scientists successfully revived dormant algae—some thousands of years old—from the bottom of the Baltic Sea, bringing them back to full viability. Their work has, quite literally, brought to life a snapshot of ancient Baltic Sea ecology. Many life forms enter a dormant state with reduced metabolic activity to wait out periods of difficult environmental conditions. When phytoplankton become dormant, they sink to the bottom of their marine habitats where they become layered in sedimentary deposits. “Such deposits are like a time capsule containing valuable information about past ecosyste ... Read full article.