Scientists find 26 entirely new bacterial species in NASA’s supposedly sterile cleanrooms that could invade Mars

The search for life on Mars may continue, but the search for life to go to Mars just took a big turn. Way back in 2007, scientists took samples from the cleanroom where the Phoenix Mars rover was built. This year, using modern genome sequencing technology, they finally got a look at what was there. And boy: they found a whopping 26 brand new bacterial species, all tolerant to extreme conditions. These things survived disinfectants and UV light, slipped through air filters, and survived temperature and humidity checks. It’s entirely possible they ended up on the Phoenix rover, meaning they might have made it all the way to the Red Planet. I didn’t know it was possible for something stranger than Elon’s sperm to reach Mars, but here we are.

If Living Science According to reports, the next step is to build a planetary simulation chamber to see if these microorganisms can survive in space and on Mars. That’s a pretty tall order: space is a vacuum, is extremely cold, exposed to intense solar radiation, and also contains no food. It’s basically a zero star motel. On the other hand, one of the reasons these things are so hard to detect is because they are capable of resurrecting themselves from a near-death state. National Geographic. A germ could theoretically “die,” go all the way to Mars, and then wake up again in alien soil. And once in foreign soil, they start exhibiting strange behavior, which means they become even stranger. Yes, zombie creatures from another world may indeed land on a defenseless planet, but in a twist, it’s the Earthlings who would be the invaders.

However, there is not much going on for the time being. These cleanrooms are the latest in sterilization; If we know how to do it, we’re already doing it. So studying these new superbugs could help find new methods, which in turn can be applied in hospitals and other clean environments. Until then, the chance that a plucky little bacterium will go on a cosmic journey and possibly plant its microscopic flag in red dust is just one chance space agencies have to take.