Scientists studying Ötzi the Iceman, a 5,300-year-old mummy kept in Alpine ice, found yeast linked to his preserved body and later used it in a lab test that made sourdough dough rise.
Eurac Research scientists analyzed ice from the mummy’s surface, meltwater inside the body, skin swabs, tissue samples, stomach contents, and soil from the discovery site.
They also used older gut microbiome data. The goal was to sort microbes from three times: Ötzi’s life, the glacier after death, and modern museum care.
Three microbial groups found
The study found three main groups. First, gut bacteria from a Copper Age human gut.
Second, cold microbes from glaciers and soil after burial. Third, modern bacteria from conservation work over the last 30 years.
Cold yeast in the mummy
Cold-adapted yeasts were found in skin, stomach contents, and meltwater inside the mummy.
DNA analysis linked some of them to microbes from extremely cold places, including polar regions.
Some DNA looked ancient. Some looked more preserved. This showed microbes from different time periods still exist in the same body.
Bread test with ancient yeast
Researchers took selected yeast strains and added them to flour in lab conditions. At first, nothing happened.
After weeks of adaptation, the yeast started working. The dough rose in about 24 hours.
Public reaction on this
Public reactions to the study were strongly mixed. Some people talked about respect and consent. They said a dead body should not be used this way, even after many years.
Others said it is normal science. They argued that the person is long gone, so it is just research, not harm.
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