[ad_1]
Could bacterial life travel between planets, carrying life across the universe?
Some scientists think so – and a new experiment has shown how resistant some bacteria are.
Researchers from the University of Vienna found that a bacterium, Deinococcus radiodurans, survived for a full year on a platform outside the International Space Station.
The researchers say the findings could be important for future missions to Mars, allowing researchers to understand how long the bacteria can survive outside the spacecraft.
The researchers analyzed how bacteria survived the outer space environment, resisting galactic cosmic and solar UV rays, extreme vacuum, temperature fluctuations, drying, freezing and microgravity.
Read more: The mysterious “rogue planet” may be even stranger than we thought
The idea of alien life spreading as “seeds” in space is not new: the theory is known as “Panspermia”.
The new research helps understand how far such organisms could travel, the researchers say.
Tetyana Milojevic, head of the space biochemistry group at the University of Vienna, says: “These investigations help us understand the mechanisms and processes by which life can exist beyond the Earth, expanding our knowledge to survive and adapt to the hostile environment of outer space.
“The results suggest that survival of D. radiodurans in LEO for a longer period is possible due to its efficient molecular response system and indicate that even longer and farther journeys are feasible for organisms with such capabilities.”
The researchers write: “These findings should be considered in the context of planetary protection concerns and the development of new sterilization techniques for future space missions.”
Read more: Astronomers find the closest black hole to Earth
Last year, researchers tested a new drug-resistant coating on the International Space Station to repel potential infections.
Researchers have warned that bacteria on the space station may become more resilient as they adapt to harsh conditions in space as they test a new antimicrobial coating to fight them.
“Space flight can turn harmless bacteria into potential pathogens,” said Prof. Elisabeth Grohmann, senior author of the study, of the Beuth University of Applied Sciences in Berlin.
“Just as stress hormones make astronauts vulnerable to infection, the bacteria they carry become more resistant, developing thick protective coatings and antibiotic resistance, and more vigorous, multiplying and metabolizing faster.”
Scientists tested a new antimicrobial coating based on silver and ruthenium, which reduced bacteria levels on contaminated surfaces.
Grohmann said: “After 6 months of exposure on the ISS, no bacteria were recovered from the AGXX-coated surfaces.
Source link
