Scientists Bake Sourdough With 5,300-Year-Old Ötzi Yeast as Study Flags Active Cold-Loving Strains
Updated
Updated · Smithsonian Magazine · Jun 5
Scientists Bake Sourdough With 5,300-Year-Old Ötzi Yeast as Study Flags Active Cold-Loving Strains
3 articles · Updated · Smithsonian Magazine · Jun 5
Summary
Four cold-adapted yeast strains found on Ötzi the Iceman were used to make sourdough bread, giving researchers their clearest practical test of microbes recovered from the 5,300-year-old mummy.
A June 3 Microbiome study traced those yeasts through samples taken in 1991, 1992, 2010 and 2019, and found one Glaciozyma strain had become dominant under the mummy’s refrigerated storage conditions.
The broader survey also showed conservation practices altered Ötzi’s exterior microbiome: spray water used to keep the body humid introduced a strong modern bacterial signature onto the remains.
Researchers found no evidence the microbes are damaging the mummy, though outside experts said RNA evidence is still needed to prove the yeasts are truly active rather than reawakened during thawing.
The team plans to test the strains in beer and other low-temperature fermentation, while using the findings to refine long-term preservation of one of archaeology’s most important human remains.