Lichens, cyanobacteria and molds growing in humidity of simulated Martian atmosphere: Difference between revisions
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Lichens, cyanobacteria and molds growing in humidity of simulated Martian atmosphere (edit)
Revision as of 23:42, 22 September 2018
, 5 years ago→Black fungi and black yeast relying on 100% night time humidity
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The experimenters concluded that it is likely that some lichens and cyanobacteria can adapt to Mars conditions, taking advantage of the night time humidity, and that it is possible that life from early Mars could have adapted to these conditions and still survive today in microniches on the surface.
==Black fungi and black yeast relying on
In another experiment, by Kristina Zakharova et al., two species of microcolonial fungi – Cryomyces antarcticus and Knufia perforans - and a species of black yeasts–Exophiala jeanselmei were found to adapt and recover metabolic activity during exposure to a simulated Mars environment for 7 days. They depended on the temporary saturation of the atmosphere with water vapour like the lichens. The fungi didn't show any signs of stress reactions (such as creating unusual new proteins).
There Cryomyces antarcticus is an extremophile fungi, one of several from Antarctic dry deserts. Knufia perforans is a fungi from hot arid environments, and Exophiala jeanselmei is a black yeast endolith closely related to human pathogens.
In this experiment, the temperature cycled between 21 °C and -50 and the relative humidity varied up to 70% at the lowest temperatures, with pressure 700 Pascals or about 0.69% of Earth sea level.
The experimenters concluded that these black fungi can survive in a Mars environment.<ref name="ZakharovaMarzban2014">{{cite journal|url=http://www.nature.com/srep/2014/140529/srep05114/full/srep05114.html|last1=Zakharova|first1=Kristina|last2=Marzban|first2=Gorji|last3=de Vera|first3=Jean-Pierre|last4=Lorek|first4=Andreas|last5=Sterflinger|first5=Katja|title=Protein patterns of black fungi under simulated Mars-like conditions|journal=Scientific Reports|volume=4|pages=5114|year=2014|issn=2045-2322|doi=10.1038/srep05114|pmid=24870977|pmc=4037706|quote="The results achieved from our study led to the conclusion that black microcolonial fungi can survive in Mars environment."|bibcode=2014NatSR...4E5114Z}}</ref>
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