Life could exist on Mars today, bacteria tests show
Life could exist on Mars, tests on microbes have revealed, but finding it will be no easy task.
Early research results show that microbes could in theory withstand the harsh conditions on Mars.
"Most microbes can grow in different types of extremes and the extremes that we are looking at, things like radiation, perchlorate salts and also sulphate salts (found on Mars), they will grow in that," said Professor Charles Cockell, from the University of Edinburgh, UK, who is coordinating the work as part of the EU-funded MASE project.
The researchers collect microbes from oxygen-free environments on earth, such as the 1.4 kilometre-deep Boulby salt mine in north-eastern UK, and then put them under conditions similar to those on Mars to see if they can survive.
"It's just a question of trying to determine what the limits are and that's the work we're doing at the moment," Prof. Cockell said.
The first stage of the European Space Agency's (ESA) ExoMars mission left for the Red Planet on 14 March, and the objective is to look for signs of life on earth's nearest neighbour.
Many scientists believe the conditions for widespread life on Mars – abundant water – did exist billions of years ago, and the MASE project is also looking for ways to pick out fossilised bacteria in the Martian rock.
However, if life still survives today, it's likely in small residues of salty water underground where it can shelter from the extreme temperatures and harsh solar radiation on the surface.
Habitable environments
"Anywhere where we've gone to the deep subsurface (on earth) today, where there is liquid water, there is a high chance that environments are habitable," said Prof. Cockell, who is also director of the UK Centre for Astrobiology.
"Simply because Mars is a planet of volcanic rock, and when volcanic rock weathers that provides an environment for microbes to grow and reproduce, I think we can already say there is a high chance there are habitable environments."
To find out, they'll need to drill into the Martian surface and test the samples they find there for the tell-tale signs of life. [quote:2420]
That's the idea behind the ExoMars mission. The first stage will search out a place to land a rover. The second stage, due to launch in 2018, will take the rover, which carries the two-metre long drill.
Read on on Horizon Magazine
More information:
editorial [at] horizon-magazine [dot] eu
Horizon brings you the latest news and features about thought-provoking science and innovative research projects funded by the EU. Our articles are written by independent science journalists and are designed to appeal to both scientists and non-scientists alike.
Provided by Horizon: The EU Research & Innovation Magazine
