Melting glaciers caused by global warming release largely unknown bacteria and viruses into the environment. These microorganisms could help us tackle some major global problems, from plastic pollution to antibiotic resistance. A research team is looking for them for the first time in Swiss glaciers. The path to the glacier changes abruptly, demanding careful footing and steady nerves. What began as a serene stroll along the glacier lake has shifted into a climb over jagged, rocky fragments and large boulders. We move forward carefully on the unstable terrain, made even more slippery by the streams of water flowing down the mountain. From far away, rumble echoes through the stillness – another boulder tumbling down. "It's pretty scary," says our guide Beat Frey. We’re standing in front of the Rhone Glacier in the Swiss Alps, overlooking an area that was still covered by a thick layer of ice until about 15 years ago. Frey, who works for the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest ...
