Scientists make 'really good' sourdough bread using yeast from 5,000-year-old mummy
Researchers want to try to use the yeast strains from the Copper Age mummy's remains to brew beer too
Scientists have baked a sourdough loaf using yeast strains harvested from a 5000-year-old mummy and now plan to try brewing beer from them too.
Listen to this article
The cold-loving yeast comes from Otzi the Iceman, who died a violent death roughly 5,300 years ago in the Alpine region of the modern border between Italy and Austria.
Researchers believe, after recent studies of the microorganisms preserved in and on Ötzi’s remains, that in some sense, he still lives on.
Past studies had identified some of the microorganisms living in Ötzi's mouth and intestines, but were curious to know whether any of the microbes were still active, and potentially damaging the remains.
To find out, the researchers extracted yeast and used it to make sourdough bread.
Read More: Bank of England defends decision to replace Churchill with a picture of a beaver on banknotes
Read More: Prime Minister to host Zelenskyy alongside French and German leaders to discuss support for Ukraine
Otzi's body had been preserved for millennia by entombment in glacial conditions. He was discovered in 1991 and represents Europe's oldest-known natural mummy.
An arrowhead was found lodged in his left shoulder, having caused fatal bleeding when he was attacked in mountainous terrain.
Researchers identified three distinct microbial worlds inside and on Ötzi's body, including ancient gut bacteria that were part of his microbiome during his lifetime and modern microbes introduced during three decades of museum conservation.
One of the most surprising discoveries was four cold-adapted yeast strains derived from the glacier environment where the remains were buried.
They found that one strain, Glaciozyma, had become the dominant strain, which suggested that the yeasts remained metabolically active over the years. To be sure, they baked bread:
“Eventually, we obtained a completely normal dough that rose within 24 hours − basically just like with ordinary yeast. We made some really good dough with it,” microbiologist Mohamed Sarhan said in statements on the website of Eurac Research, where he works for the Institute for Mummy Studies.
“I’ve never baked bread before – and it showed. So the result definitely had room for improvement. But as I said, these were our very first experiments,” Sarhan added.
Researchers didn’t find any evidence to suggest that the yeast and other microbes are harming Otzi’s remains, reports the NewScientist. But they hope to study them further to learn more about their effects on the body, reports Live Science.
Scientists also plan to experiment with the cold-loving yeast strains to see if they can have any practical applications, such as for the production of bread, beer or other fermented products.
“We want to pursue this further and involve specialised research teams from the food sector in the process,” Dr Sarhan said. "Bread is currently one of the obvious applications we’re considering; another is beer.
We’ve already discussed this with experts from [German brewer] Weihenstephan,” he added. “Yeasts that are active at very low temperatures can offer advantages in different areas".
“If fermentation is possible at room temperature or even at refrigerator temperatures, energy can be saved since no additional heating is required".
"Furthermore, the yeasts could also be active during transport, meaning they could contribute to fermentation already on their way to the manufacturer".