Investigation of the viability of osmophile bacteria of great geological age.

The literature on the viability of ancient bacteria is negligible. Lipmann cultured some bacteria from Pennsylvanian coal, and ZoBell cultured bacteria from oil-brines. In a letter to Tasch dated March 29, 1951, ZoBell wrote in response to a question about viability of ancient bacteria: "Bacteria as individuals might have infinite longevity. They might be capable of resting in suspended animation for unlimited periods of time and some might have survived in this state since the PreCambrian. The evidence is highly suggestive but not conclusive . The most recent work by Strong (1956) describes iron bacteria and associated microorganisms from Permian ferruginous crystalline rock salt released from a deep boring in northeast Yorkshire, England. This is the only report of bacteria in Permian salt on record, although such bacteria have been reported from beds ranging from Devonian to Cretaceous in age. Thread-like bacteria as well as species of genera Gallionella and Leptothrix have been reported. It should be emphasized that Strong's bacteria were dead organisms. Our investigation was designed to answer three main questions: (1) Are bacteria present in Permian salt? (2) If present, are such bacteria Permian in age? (3) Can any of such bacterias in a resting state for 200 million years be made to grow in broths and solid media?