Russian and French scientists discovered an earlier unknown type of a gigantic virus in Siberia.

      As the France-Presse Agency reports, the virus found in permafrost was named Mollivirus sibericum. According to experts, the virus particles stayed in soil for about 30 thousand years.

      Unlike the majority of viruses, Mollivirus sibericum thanks to its enormous size is visible even by a simple optical microscope. Scientists established that, despite its long stay in permafrost, the virus has DNA samples kept intact.

      French scientists decided to experiment and recover Mollivirus sibericum by placing its particles on several amoebas. It turned out to be quite enough for the virus to come to life again and infect the living organisms.