Permafrost bacteria slows down ageing, say scientists

MOSCOW - Agence France-Presse

A hardy type of bacteria recently discovered in the permafrost of Siberia could help slow down the ageing process, Russian scientists claimed on Jan. 17.

The species of bacteria, given the name Bacillius F, was found in laboratory tests to have shown signs of slowing down the process of ageing on mice, the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAN) said.

The Siberian branch of the RAN said Bacillius F lags three million years behind similar bacteria in evolutionary terms, according to the characteristics of proteins and some other factors.

“Taking into consideration the unusual living environment, one can only marvel at the resilience of these bacteria,” it said.

It added that the organizms found in Russia’s northern region of Yakutia, home to the coldest inhabited area on the planet, reproduce at just 5 degrees Celsius.

Experiments have shown that metabolism in the tested mice have increased by 20 to 30 percent, the scientists said.