Representational image of humans on the Red Planet.
While the existence of microbes on Mars remains uncertain, there is a potential risk that those carried on human bodies could endure the hostile environment of the red planet.
These conclusions are drawn from experiments that involved subjecting Earthly bacteria to Martian simulation conditions to assess their survival capabilities.
This is particularly worrisome if these microorganisms can evolve and adapt to the unfamiliar space environment.
It could pose a significant health threat to future human explorers. The entire mission could be compromised with just one infected astronaut.
The risk is more severe in space travel, since returning to Earth is difficult, and medical resources are limited.
A team of researchers from the German Aerospace Center evaluated the tolerance of four bacterial species to simulated Martian conditions: Burkholderia cepacia, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Serratia marcescens.
The study looked at how these bacteria adapt to difficulties including perchlorate exposure, UV light, and Mars’ atmospheric composition and pressure.
The findings revealed notable changes in the growth and survival of these bacterial species under simulated Martian conditions.
Of particular interest was the observation that the addition of a simulated Martian regolith to the growth media enhanced bacterial growth. This discovery underscores the complexity of microbial responses to extraterrestrial conditions.
“At the beginning, we thought that the regolith would have a toxic effect on the cells so it would limit their growth. But instead, we saw that it was the opposite,” Ph.D. student Tommaso Zaccaria told Sciencenews.
The scientists suggest that this is because soil particles protect bacteria from UV radiation and other dangers to their existence.
S. marcescens exhibited remarkable resistance in the simulated Martian conditions, flourishing in this setting. This bacteria, which is usually associated with hospital-acquired infections, has been linked to urinary tract infections and the development of septic wounds.
The study also underlines the need for more research into potential changes in the infectivity, pathogenicity, and virulence of these bacteria when exposed to Martian environments.
These findings are critical for identifying and minimizing possible dangers to humans and planetary ecosystems during space exploration missions.
The conclusions were published in the journal Astrobiology.
Study abstract:
The health of astronauts during space travel to new celestial bodies in the Solar System is a critical factor in the planning of a mission. Despite cleaning and decontamination protocols, microorganisms from the Earth have been and will be identified on spacecraft. This raises concerns for human safety and planetary protection, especially if these microorganisms can evolve and adapt to the new environment. In this study, we examined the tolerance of clinically relevant nonfastidious bacterial species that originate from environmental sources (Burkholderia cepacia, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Serratia marcescens) to simulated martian conditions. Our research showed changes in growth and survival of these species in the presence of perchlorates, under desiccating conditions, exposure to ultraviolet radiation, and exposure to martian atmospheric composition and pressure. In addition, our results demonstrate that growth was enhanced by the addition of a martian regolith simulant to the growth media. Additional future research is warranted to examine potential changes in the infectivity, pathogenicity, and virulence of these species with exposure to martian conditions.
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Mrigakshi Dixit Mrigakshi is a science journalist who enjoys writing about space exploration, biology, and technological innovations. Her work has been featured in well-known publications including Nature India, Supercluster, The Weather Channel and Astronomy magazine. If you have pitches in mind, please do not hesitate to email her.
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