An NSF Press Release reports that researchers have discovered a 3000-year-old Antarctic lake preserved beneath 16 metres of ice. The lake has water that is seven times saltier than seawater, and sediment containing viable microbes which were revived. The microbes may contain ice-active substances such as antifreezes and ice nucleation inhibitors that enable them to be frozen and come back to life when exposed to liquid water. Researchers believe that Lake Vida may offer clues to likely environments for finding signs of ancient, Martian, microbial life.