Experts Collect Black Barley Seeds from Shipwreck Under Lake Huron to Revive Extinct Strain and Plan to Make Whisky.
In 1878, the James R. Bentley sailing ship sank in Lake Huron, one of the Great Lakes in North America, while transporting black barley to Chicago. The crew survived the incident, but the cargo—a strain of black barley that has since been lost—remained submerged. The shipwreck lay hidden for over a century until its discovery in 1984.
Eric Olson’s team collecting black barley seeds. (Photo: Michigan State University).
On September 17, 2024, a team of scientists utilized special metal tubes to collect black barley seeds submerged underwater. They retrieved a significant amount, but keeping them “alive” proved to be a major challenge. Exposure to oxygen and warmer temperatures could damage the seeds after being underwater for such a long time.
The newly collected seeds, named Bentley Black Barley after the sunken ship, were quickly transported to Michigan State University (MSU) for analysis. Assistant Professor Eric Olson, a geneticist and wheat breeding expert, expressed caution regarding their germination potential. “The idea of the seeds germinating is very exciting, but this is very difficult since they have been underwater for 145 years,” Olson told Interesting Engineering on November 21.
Despite appearing intact, the initial seeds did not germinate even with the aid of gibberellic acid, a plant hormone used to stimulate dormant seeds. “Although they still look quite good, it’s possible the seeds no longer have the active mitochondria necessary for germination,” Olson explained.
However, the team of experts devised an alternative solution: extracting genetic material from the seeds to recreate their historical traits. “We can revive the genes in the seeds and use modern gene sequencing techniques to assemble parts of the genome. We will sequence the chromosomes of this black barley strain and transfer those chromosome segments into a modern black barley strain, essentially reviving the historical black barley,” Olson stated.
The team plans to combine the genetic material of Bentley barley with that of another historic strain, Rosen black barley. This will create a new crop. The hybrid crop could be used for whisky production, linking Michigan’s agricultural history with its current economy.
“If we successfully integrate the black barley chromosome segments from the Bentley wreck into Rosen black barley, this will attract tourists and create numerous opportunities for farmers,” Olson shared.
