Researcher Tommaso Zaccaria from the Radboud University Medical Center in the Netherlands has concluded that certain earthly microorganisms could survive beyond Earth, provided water is present on other celestial bodies. The findings were reported by the Science X portal on June 21. According to the study, yeast and bacteria that thrive in extreme conditions on our planet demonstrate high resilience.
To conduct the experiments, the scientist recreated conditions typical of Mars and the moons of gas giants at the German Aerospace Center. The microorganisms were exposed to radiation, freezing, and dehydration. The tests revealed that they can adapt to such environments by enhancing mechanisms for repairing damaged DNA and activating protective chemical reactions within their cells.
The researchers paid special attention to human pathogens, including the bacterium Klebsiella pneumoniae, which causes pneumonia. After simulating a flight to Mars, the microorganisms shrank in size but remained viable. At the same time, under laboratory conditions, human immune system cells were less effective at recognizing and attacking these altered pathogens.
The authors of the work also highlighted additional threats for participants in future space missions. A weakened body due to radiation, disrupted sleep patterns, and limited nutrition could increase the risk of infections. Furthermore, the study revealed the harmful effects of extraterrestrial dust—regolith. Comparisons between artificially created samples of Martian and lunar soil and ordinary Earth sand showed that extraterrestrial material can damage the protective layer of the lungs and promote infections, whereas Earth sand does not produce such an effect.
Professors Mihai Netea and Marien de Jonge, who supervised the research, believe that the results are significant not only for space exploration but also for medicine. In their view, observing accelerated aging and weakened immune responses in astronauts could help better understand the mechanisms behind what is known as immunological aging in people on Earth. The researchers also emphasized the need to revise approaches to sterilizing spacecraft to prevent possible biological contamination of other planets.
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