U.S. scientists find ancient microbes in salty, ice-sealed Antarctic lake

WASHINGTON, Nov. 26 (Xinhua) -- U.S. scientists have discovered abundant and diverse metabolically active bacteria in the brine of an Antarctic lake sealed under more than 65 feet (19.8 meters) of ice, according to a study published Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The finding is surprising because previous studies indicate that the brine has been isolated from the surface environment -- and external sources of energy -- for at least 2,800 years, according to the study.

"This provides us with new boundary conditions on the limits for life," said Peter Doran, a study author and professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago. "The low temperature or high salinity on their own are limiting, but combined with an absence of solar energy or any new inputs from the atmosphere, they make this a very tough place to make a living."

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