(Web Desk) - Scientists have baked a sourdough loaf using yeast extracted from a 5,300-year-old mummy – and now they want to brew beer from it.
The ancient fungus was discovered inside Ötzi the Iceman, Europe‘s oldest known human mummy.
Scientists found four different types of yeast in the brownish meltwater trapped inside the frozen corpse.
DNA analysis revealed the yeast showed similar levels of damage to other ancient microbes found in the body, suggesting it entered the mummy shortly after his death.
Prof Dr Mohamed Sarhan, of the Eurac Research Institute, said: “If you tell anyone you have yeast, they immediately ask: can we use it for bread?”
Initial attempts to revive the fungus failed, but after three months of work researchers succeeded in creating a “very, very good sourdough”.
With bread conquered, they said brewing beer is next “on the list”.
Ötzi was discovered by two German hikers in a glacier in the Ötztal Alps in 1991.
Experts believe the prehistoric man died after being shot in the back with an arrow by an unknown attacker.
His remarkably preserved body has since been stored at -6C, allowing scientists to take swab samples from various tissues over the years.
The yeast cells recovered from the mummy are specially adapted to survive in extremely cold environments and are usually found in regions such as Antarctica.
Researchers detected both heavily degraded ancient DNA and well-preserved modern DNA, suggesting the microorganisms have existed in and around the mummy for thousands of years.
Dr Frank Maixner, director of the Institute for Mummy Studies at Eurac Research, said: “We can see continuity here.
“These yeasts have accompanied Ötzi on his long journey through the millennia.”
The yeast was not the only surprise lurking inside the famous mummy.
An analysis of Ötzi’s microbiome uncovered a type of bacteria that is now almost non-existent among modern humans.
Today, it is found only in isolated tribes in parts of Africa and South America, offering a rare glimpse into the diets of our ancestors.
The discovery suggests prehistoric humans consumed significantly more fibre and wholegrains than people do today.
Researchers said the findings “reveal that the Iceman is not a biologically ‘frozen’ time-capsule but rather a complex ecosystem”.
Scientists also believe the methods used to preserve the mummy may have helped the yeast survive for so long.Phenol was applied to prevent fungal growth on the body, but researchers found the yeast was actually feeding on the chemical.
That discovery could have modern-day applications, with scientists suggesting the fungus might one day be used to break down the chemical in contaminated environments.
However, researchers warned the yeast could also pose a threat to the mummy itself and called for further study.