The high frequency of recent virus outbreaks has triggered the research and discovery of other such viruses. Scientists worldwide are trying to figure out if they can predict such outbreaks in the future. Studies targeting ancient glacial microbes are gaining pace and importance. In surprising research, scientists dug up a glacier in the northwestern Tibetan plateau of China, and have found 33 ancient viruses. These viruses were preserved under the glacier for 15,000 years.
Originally, viruses belonging to 33 genera were found, from which 28 are completely unknown to science. Interestingly, these were found in a sample measuring a mere 0.6 inches, which have raised the possibility of several such species inhabiting the glacier. The sampling was done at two distinct points of the glacier and the microbes found from both the sites varied greatly. The results are useful in providing…
