Life from Earth may temporarily survive on Mars

Some microbes on Earth may temporarily survive on the surface of Mars, a new study by scientists from NASA and the German Air Service Center finds. The researchers tested the endurance of microorganisms under Mars conditions by sending it into the Earth’s stratosphere, as it represents the key conditions on the Red Planet. Published in Boundaries in microbiology, this work paves the way for understanding not only the threat of microbes to space emissions, but also the opportunities for resource independence of the Earth.

“We have successfully tested a new way to expose bacteria and fungi to Martian-like conditions by using a scientific balloon to fly our experimental equipment to the Earth’s stratosphere,” reports Marta Filipa Cortesão, co-author of this study from the German Aviation Center. Cologne, Germany. “Some microbes, especially spores of the black mold, were able to survive the journey, even when exposed to very high UV radiation.”

Microbial lifters

Understanding the endurance of microbes for space travel is essential to the success of future missions. When we search for extraterrestrial life, we must be sure that everything we discover did not just travel with us from the earth.

“With long-term missions to Mars, we need to know how micro-organisms associated with humans will survive on the Red Planet, as some may pose a health risk to astronauts,” said Katharina Siems, co-author of the German-based co-author aviation. Centre. “In addition, some microbes can be invaluable for space exploration. It can help us produce food and material supplies independently of the earth, which is crucial when we are far from home.”

March in a box

Many key features of the Martian surface environment cannot be found or easily replicated at the surface of our planet, but above the ozone layer in the Earth’s central stratosphere, conditions are strikingly similar.

“We launched the microbes into the stratosphere in the charge of the MARSBOx (Microbes in Atmosphere for Radiation, Survival and Biological Outcomes Experiment), which was kept on Martian pressure throughout the mission and filled with artificial atmosphere,” Cortesão explains. “The box has two sample layers, with the bottom layer protected from radiation. This enabled us to separate the effects of radiation from the other tested conditions: dehydration, atmosphere and temperature fluctuation during flight. The samples from the top layer is exposed to more than a thousand times more UV radiation than levels that can cause sunburn on our skin. ‘

“Although not all of the microbes survived the journey, one previously detected in the International Space Station, the black form Aspergillus niger, may be revived after returning home,” explains Siems, emphasizing the importance of this ongoing research. .

“Microorganisms are closely connected to us; our body, our food, our environment, so it is impossible to prevent them from space travel. The use of good analogies for the Martian environment, such as the MARSBOx balloon transmission to the stratosphere , ‘is a very important way to help us explore all the implications of space travel on microbial life and how we can drive this knowledge to amazing discoveries in space.’