Most of the new viruses are not like any virus that has been discovered so far.
Research published in the journal Microbiome could help scientists understand how viruses have developed over centuries. For this study, scientists have also created a new, super clean method of analyzing bacteria and viruses in stone without polluting it.
Zhi-Ping Zhong, the lead author of the study and a researcher at Ohio State University, said: These icebergs are gradually forming, and along with dust and gas, many viruses are also accumulating in the ice. The ice covers western China that has not been thoroughly studied and our goal is to use this information to reflect past environments. And viruses are part of those environments.
Researchers analyzed the ice core taken in 2015 from the Guliya ice core in Tibet. The core were collected at a high altitude - Guliya peak - where the ice originated, 6,700m above sea level. The ice core holds layers of ice that accumulate year after year, holding back anything in the atmosphere around them at the time each layer freezes. These layers create a timeline, which scientists have used to understand more about climate change, bacteria, viruses and gases throughout history.
Researchers have determined that this ice layer is nearly 15,000 years old by using a combination of traditional and novel techniques to determine the age of the ice core.
When analyzing the bang, they found the genetic code of 33 types of viruses. Four of these viruses have been identified by the scientific community. But at least 28 of them are new. About half of the viruses appeared to have survived at the time they were frozen.
Matthew Sullivan, co-author of the study, professor of microbiology at Ohio State University and director of the Center for microbiology at Ohio State University, said: These are viruses that can thrive in harsh environments. These viruses have signs of genes that help them infect cells in cold environments - a surreal genetic sign of how a virus can survive in harsh conditions.
These are not easy to recognize signs. The method Zhi-Ping has developed to disinfect the core and study bacteria and viruses in ice that can help us search for these gene chains in other harsh frozen environments, such as Mars and the Moon.
Research shows that 4 of the viruses in the Guliya bang core have been previously identified and belong to the virus family that commonly spreads bacteria. Researchers found that the virus was at much lower levels than the levels found in viruses in the ocean or soil.
Researchers' analysis shows that viruses may have originated from soil or plants, not from animals or humans.
Research on relatively new ice viruses: Only two previous studies have identified viruses in ancient ice. Lonnie Thompson, senior author of the study and professor of earth science at Ohio State University, said that this is a scientific field that is becoming more important as climate change.
Thompson said: We know little about viruses and bacteria in these harsh environments, as well as what is really there. Understanding that is extremely important: How do bacteria and viruses respond to climate change? What will happen when we move from the ice age to the current warm period?"
