Microbiologists have
been working for decades studying extremophiles, organisms that can endure
extreme condition.
A new study published in the journal Frontiers
in Microbiology, A type of bacteria that is highly resistant to radiation and
other environmental hazards survived outside of the international Space
Station.
Experiment on the
international space station, show that the bacteria called, “Deinococcus
radiodurans” can survive at least three years in space. According to a study
led by Akihiko Yamagishi, a microbiologist at Tokyo University of pharmacy and
Live sciences. The results also suggest that microbial life could travel
between planets unprotected by rock.
The Japanese Tanpopo the mission which means dandelion in Japanese involved pellets of dried Deinococcus
bacteria within aluminum plates that were placed in exposure panels outside of
the space station.
The bacteria
(Deinococcus) is found on Earth and has been nicknamed Conan the Bacterium by
scientists for its ability to survive cold, dehydration, and acid. And it’s
known as the most radiant-resistance life form in the Guinness Books of world
Records.
The bacteria can
resist 3,000 times the amount of radiation that would kill a human and be
first isolated in cans of meat subjected to sterilizing radiation.
The mission was
designed to test the “PANSPERMIA” theory which suggests the microbes can pass
from one planet to another and actually distribute life.
In 2018, the team of Akihiko
used an aircraft and scientific balloons to find this bacteria that was
actually floating 7.5 miles above Earth’s surface.
Now the team of
Akihiko wonder if this bacteria, which was resistant to ultraviolet radiation
could actually survive in space even the journey to other planets through
extreme temperature fluctuations and even harsher radiation.
What are the results of this new research?
The authors, Researchers
say the result entirely depended on the thickness of the bacteria. Those that
were larger than 0.5 millimeters were able to partially survive, sustaining DNA
damage.
Though the bacteria
on the surface of the aggregate, or colony formed by the bacteria, died, the researchers
found a protective layer beneath it that ensured the colony survived.
These results support
the possibility of pellets as an ark for interplanetary transfer of microbes
within several years.
The bacteria studies
inside the space station didn’t fare so well, where oxygen and moisture proved
harmful to the bacteria.
According to the
scientists estimates bacteria pellets thicker than 0.5 millimeters could
survive between 15 and 45 years outside of the space station in low-earth
Orbit.
The team predicted those colonies of the bacteria more than 1 millimeter in diameter could survive
as long as eight years on outer space.
The results seem that
radioresistant Deinococcus could survive during the travel from earth to mars
and vice versa, which is several months or years in the shortest orbit.
However, the previous
studies have shown that bacteria could survive longer in space if it was shielded by
rock, known as lithopanspermia, but this study has shown that bacteria
aggregates or colonies can survive in space which is called massapanspermia.
Akihiko and his
team’s result believes that it is very important to search for life on Mars
before human missions to Mars. Bacteria from Earth could present a false
negative for life on Mars or act as a contaminant on Mars.
NASA’s Perseverance Rover
NASA’s
perseverance Rover, which presently en route and due to land on Mars in February
after launching in July went through ultra-careful cleaning from assembly to
prelaunch.
Apparently the rover
will collect the sample, and returned to Earth in the next 10 year, that could
contain a proof of ancient life that once flourished on the red planet.
So the team of
researchers considering how microbial pellets could end up in the space Akihiko
and his team suspect that bacteria could potentially be launched from Earth by
the electric field generated in thunderstorms, landing the way that
micrometeorites do in the atmosphere of Earth.
According to Akihiko
tens of millions of kilograms of micrometeorites are reaching to the Earth’s
surface every year. A similar landing process may be present in the thin
atmosphere of Mars.
His team are
interested in conducting more exposure experiments for microbes of NASA’s Lunar
Gateway.
According to NASA,
the lunar gateway will act an outpost orbiting the moon which provides support
for the sustainable, long-term human return to the lunar surface, as well as a staging point for deep space exploration, it’s a very critical component of
NASA’s Artemis program, that aims to land the first woman and next man on the
lunar surface by 2024.
Conclusion
On a conclusive note
Akihiko said “scientists can have totally different points of view on the
matter. Few think that life is very rare and happened only once in The universe, while others think that life can happen on every suitable planet. If
panspermia is possible, life must exist much more often than we previously
thought”.
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