Researchers in Italy have successfully baked sourdough bread using ancient yeast strains recovered from a 5,300-year-old mummy known as Otzi the Iceman.
Scientists at Eurac Research isolated several cold-tolerant yeast strains from the Copper Age mummy’s skin, digestive tract and internal meltwater after studying microorganisms preserved alongside the remains, which were discovered in the Italian Alps in 1991.
Microbiologist Mohamed Sarhan said early experiments produced promising results, with the ancient yeast adapting to a sourdough starter after around two weeks of being fed flour.
Because the microorganisms evolved in the cold conditions that preserved Otzi’s body, they are capable of functioning at low temperatures. Researchers believe the strains could have practical applications in modern food production by enabling fermentation during refrigerated storage and transport, potentially reducing energy use.
Bread is one of the first products being explored, while scientists have also discussed the possibility of brewing beer using the revived microorganisms. The study found the mummy’s microbiome contains traces of organisms from his lifetime, microbes that colonised the body after death and modern contaminants introduced during decades of preservation and study.
What does Europe’s oldest natural mummy tell us about humankind?
A mummy researcher tells @SkyYaldaHakim about how his colleagues discovered the active microbes on Otzi The Iceman’s bodyhttps://t.co/IZqIOCfN7H pic.twitter.com/kXa27TaC8D
— Sky News (@SkyNews) June 4, 2026
