Scientists at the University of Florida have found that a terrestrial microorganism can not only survive but reproduce in a toxic, salty environment resembling conditions on Mars. The finding was reported by Gizmodo, according to infohub.kz.
Biologists tested the survival of the microorganism Haloferax volcanii under extreme conditions. On Earth, these microbes live in environments with very high salt concentrations similar to the presumed subsurface layers of the Red Planet.
The samples were placed for 160 days in an oxygen-free chamber with low pressure and excess carbon. The researchers added nitrates and perchlorates to the nutrient medium — salts that are toxic to most organisms, occur in Martian soil and act in a way similar to bleach.
The experiments showed that the extremophiles were able to use these chemical compounds to sustain their metabolism. The microbes not only survived the low pressure but also began to reproduce, although the process was slower than under normal Earth conditions. In addition, the colonies successfully retained water inside their cells, partly through the formation of protective biofilms.
The authors of the study stressed that the simulation they created does not yet replicate the Martian climate in full. In particular, the temperature in the experiment was about 21 degrees Celsius, significantly warmer than the real conditions on the planet. Nevertheless, the data obtained confirm that the search for life on Mars should be expanded and should check for living bacteria in the present, rather than only looking for traces of long-extinct microorganisms.