Some tiny Earthling organisms may be able to survive on Mars [View all]

[Judi Lynn]

Study finds that black mould fungus could survive Mars-like conditions

y Tom Bawden
February 22, 2021 5:00 am

Some tiny microscopic organisms, such as black mould fungus, may be able to survive on the surface of Mars, at least temporarily, a new study suggests.

Researchers exposed samples of bacteria and fungi to Mars-like landing conditions for five hours by launching them 24 miles up into the Earth’s stratosphere, which closely represents the conditions on the Red Planet.

“We used a scientific balloon to fly our experimental equipment up to Earth’s stratosphere. Some microbes, in particular spores from the black mould fungus, were able to survive the trip, even when exposed to very high UV radiation,” said Marta Filipa Cortesão, from the German Aerospace Centre in Cologne.

The findings suggest that some kinds of microbes could potentially upset the Martian eco-system if inadvertently introduced to the planet by a space craft.

More:
https://inews.co.uk/news/science/tiny-earth-organisms-may-be-able-to-survive-on-mars-881353?ITO=newsnow