Bacteria Haven't Been Found On Mars C...

What’s Happening

Not gonna lie, Learn more about the hunt for bacteria on Mars and how astronauts will need to make sure they aren’t bringing any dormant bacteria with them to the Red Planet.

Key Takeaways for Bacteria On Mars Bacteria can lie dormant for long periods of time and at some point be resuscitated. While looking for bacteria on Mars, the experts need to keep this notion in mind. (yes, really)

Dormant bacteria from Earth could be hiding on our spacecrafts and, without precautions, contaminate Mars.

The Details

Though not locked in, researchers believe that bacteria on Mars could be lying dormant beneath the Red Planet’s surface. One of the coolest things about bacteria is that some can sleep or enter dormant states.

When they’re starved of nutrients, and in the right conditions, they go dormant, meaning that while they may appear dead, they can be rehydrated — some like the dried mushrooms and chilis you add to your favorite recipes. We know that dormant bacteria exist on Earth and potentially on spacecraft sent to Mars, and while we haven’t yet found any dormant bacteria on Mars, that doesn’t mean they don’t exist.

Why This Matters

According to a study in Astrobiology, we’ve got many reasons to believe that below the surface on Mars may be dormant, martian bacteria. Coli Swim Upstream in Our Bodies To Infect the Urinary Tract and Gut The Hunt for Bacteria on Mars Researchers at Northwestern University have shown that the microbe, Deinococcus radiodurans , can survive extreme radiation. So, if the microbe had been lying dormant underneath the surface of Mars, it could have survived solar protons and galactic cosmic radiation.

The scientific community tends to find developments like this significant.

Key Takeaways

• Though again, researchers have only shown that it’s possible, not that it exists.
• We’ve learned about dormant bacteria and how they might survive on Earth.
• The study found that dormant bacteria could potentially hitchhike to Mars , having major implications for space travel.

The Bottom Line

A recent study published in the journal Microbiology Spectrum showed that heavily sterilized rooms that are prepared for a space mission could potentially carry dormant bacteria to Mars. The study found that dormant bacteria could potentially hitchhike to Mars , having major implications for space travel.

Are you here for this or nah?