30,000-year-old giant virus 'comes back to life'

[theHandpuppet]

http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-26387276

30,000-year-old giant virus 'comes back to life'
By Rebecca Morelle
Science reporter, BBC World Service
March 3, 2014

An ancient virus has "come back to life" after lying dormant for at least 30,000 years, scientists say.

It was found frozen in a deep layer of the Siberian permafrost, but after it thawed it became infectious once again.

The French scientists say the contagion poses no danger to humans or animals, but other viruses could be unleashed as the ground becomes exposed.

The study is published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).... MORE

[TexasProgresive]

1. So it's become "infections once again"

It poses not threat to humans or animals so what does it infect, other virus, microbes or plants?

[siligut]

2. ameobae are in the animal order

Co-author Dr Chantal Abergel, also from the CNRS, said: "It comes into the cell, multiplies and finally kills the cell. It is able to kill the amoeba - but it won't infect a human cell."

[theHandpuppet]

3. I'm wondering what other little surprises the thawing permafrost has in store for us

I'm assuming scientists have core samples of permafrost as they have for ice?

[siligut]

4. This is a first for them, so maybe not thorough permafrost core samples

The article touches on what other life might be unloosed. The last paragraph made me think of the 1982 movie, The Thing.

"But it's the freezing-thawing that poses the problems, because as the ice forms then melts there's a physical damaging effect. If they do survive this, then they need to find a host to infect and they need to find them pretty fast."

OK, it is far-fetched, but I couldn't help but go there

[Javaman]

5. is this how the zombie apocalypse starts? nt