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comment by user-inactivated
user-inactivated  ·  4364 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Life abounds in Antarctic lake sealed under ice

    Genetic analysis suggests that most of the cells — both those of standard size and the microcells — are related to known types of bacterium. However, one abundant bacterium of normal size seems to have no close relatives among cultivated bacteria, and so may represent a new phylum.

This is what the Vostok drilling is possibly going to be notable for: life, hopefully, but even better, life that resembles nothing we've ever seen. (Preliminary reports have found nothing yet.) Vida has been sealed for 2800 years -- Vostok has been for millions. I'm extremely excited to see where that goes.