NASA
The inhospitable surface of Mars
Resistant lichens may be the missing key to fill oxygen. They are always there, but only now scientists begin to look at them.
Many dream of moving one day to Mars, the most prone extraterrestrial place known to receive life. But science is still far from achieving it. Firstly, it would be necessary to convert the 95% carbon dioxide present on the neighboring planet with breathable oxygen – for this, it should be necessary to cultivate plants, points out the.
Now scientists have discovered a kind that can help us with this task. They are called lichensand are actually a hybrid colony of fungi and algae and/or cyanobacteria.
“The lichens inhabit various ecosystems around the world, but they are particularly crucial in extreme environments such as hot deserts and the cold polar regions. They are known as extremophils, capable of surviving under extreme temperatures, intense radiation and prolonged water scarcity, write the authors of the 31st March on March 31 Has a fungus.
The team decided to take the test in Diploschistes muscorum e Cetaria Aculeata – With various characteristics. The species were subjected to a simulation of extreme temperature fluctuations, x -ray radiation, pressure and Mars atmosphere. The first was the best candidate.
“The remarkable ability of lichens to support adverse conditions led to the suggestion that they are well adapted to survive in the extreme environment From the outer space ”, conclude the investigators.
The main author of the study, Kaja Skubała, wrote in one: “These discoveries expand our understanding of biological processes under simulated Martian conditions And they reveal how hydrated organisms respond to ionizing radiation – one of the most critical challenges for survival and habitability in Mars. ”
He concludes: “Ultimately, this investigation deepens our knowledge about the adaptation of lichens and their potential to colonize extraterrestrial environments.”
