Discovering life under thick ice in Antarctica

Scientists have found life under the extreme ice in Antarctica, where previous studies claim nothing can exist.

>>>Discover strange life under Antarctic ice

The finding was coined by Scott Rogers, professor of biology at Bowling Green State University, Ohio, USA, and colleagues after carefully analyzing samples taken from Lake Vostok. Samples taken from a depth of more than 3km from the underground lake Vostok - an ancient underground lake deep beneath the ice in Antarctica.

The rig samples the scientists' research and the location of the Vostok underground ice lake in Antarctica.(Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

Scientists combine the analysis of DNA and RNA (RNA is one of two types of nucleic acid, is a genetic basis at the molecular level) from material collected in ice samples. They identified thousands of bacteria, some of which often occur in the digestive system of fish and many other marine species, including freshwater and saltwater species.

The team also found fungi and two species of unicellular bacteria often live in harsh environments when analyzing ice samples.

According to Professor Rogers, the finding shows that Lake Vostok once connected to the ocean and was connected to large glaciers."The discovery shows that life is strange, it is resilient in places where we thought nothing could exist in the last few decades ," Professor Rogers said.

Lake Vostok is the world's fourth deepest lake, this is also the largest of the 400 Antarctic underground lakes. The lake was formed about 60 million years ago when the continental plates shifted, and it was isolated between 15 and 25 million years ago. Vostok is compared to an extraterrestrial planet because of the rigors of depth, darkness, low temperature and life cannot exist.

The study helps scientists take a new look at Antarctic life, and there will be new discoveries about the continent in the future.