Earth bacteria were able to survive in Martian conditions

Dutch scientist Tommaso Zaccaria from the Radboud University Medical Center has established that microorganisms of terrestrial origin are capable of surviving on celestial bodies where water is present — in particular, on Mars and on the moons of gas giant planets.

This is reported by the news portal Science X.

At the German Aerospace Center, the researcher simulated extraterrestrial conditions by subjecting microorganisms to radiation, dehydration, and low temperatures. The experiment confirmed that terrestrial extremophiles — yeasts and bacteria — demonstrate high adaptability to the space environment.

"They increase their ability to repair DNA damage and activate protective chemical reactions in their cells," Zaccaria emphasized.

The experiments also tested microorganisms pathogenic to humans, including the causative agent of pneumonia — the bacterium Klebsiella pneumoniae. After simulating a Martian transit, the microbes decreased in size but remained viable. At the same time, under laboratory conditions, human immune system cells responded less effectively to such "shrunken" forms of pathogens.

In April, an international group of researchers demonstrated that simple organisms are capable of surviving in conditions approximating those on Mars. Even a combination of powerful shock waves and toxic salts did not prove fatal for them.