Scientists from Russia and France made a terrible discovery in the permafrost of Siberia. They found a new type of giant virus that has been in the earth for about 30 thousand years.
A sample of the virus, which was named Mollivirus sibericum, was found by Russian specialists in northeastern Siberia in soil samples. According to scientists, the virus lay in a frozen state in the thickness of the earth for about 30 thousand years.
The find was classified as a giant virus due to its size. Mollivirus sibericum is 0.6 microns long, unlike most common viruses, can be observed under a simple optical microscope and resembles a bacterium.
As scientists assure, giant viruses are not uncommon, so they decided to revive the found sample for a while. It turned out that Mollivirus sibericum has more than 500 genes, intact DNA samples were preserved inside it.
The French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) noted that without the help of scientists, this virus can return to life at any time. For this, only a few particles are enough, which each person carries, reports TASS.
“If we are not on our guard and begin to industrialize the Arctic regions, which are of increasing interest due to mineral resources, without the necessary precautions, there is a risk that one day we will awaken some viruses like smallpox, which was considered eradicated,” warned one of the study coordinators, professor of medicine from the University of Aix-Marseille Jean-Michel Clavry.