Antarctic fungi survive under Mars conditions on the ISS

2016/01/28 Galarraga Aiestaran, Ana - Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Astrofisika
• Biologia

After a year and a half in conditions similar to those of Mars at the International Space Station (ISS), several fungi from Antarctica have confirmed their survival. These fungi were Cryomyces antarcticus and Cryomyces minteri, who have announced that, after eighteen months in extreme conditions, 60% of the cells were healthy.

These fungi are able to survive where there are no other living beings, but researchers wanted to know if they could survive in conditions similar to those of Mars. They were taken to the ISS and placed on a platform outside the Columbus module. This platform, called EXPOSE-E, is designed for conducting astrobiology experiments.

Fungi have been _in a co2-rich atmosphere, almost without water or oxygen and at a pressure of 1,000 pascals. Using optical filters, they received ultraviolet radiation equivalent to Mars. And yet 60% of their cells had DNA well without any change. Previous research with other species has also shown that they are able to last to some extent in these extreme conditions. The results of this experiment have been published in the journal Astrobiology, which, according to the researchers, has provided very useful data to find remains of living beings on Mars.