American researchers from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, together with scientists from India and Saudi Arabia, have made an unexpected discovery: in the sterile rooms where the Phoenix research probe was being prepared to study the planet Mars in 2007, they found 26 previously unknown species of bacteria. This is reported by Space with reference to the journal Microbiome.
These facilities were created to prevent microorganisms from entering space, but as it turns out, some of them, known as extremophiles, are able to survive even in the harshest conditions.
"Our study aimed to understand the risk of extremophiles being transferred in space missions and to identify which microorganisms might survive the harsh conditions of space. This effort is pivotal for monitoring the risk of microbial contamination and safeguarding against unintentional colonization of exploring planets," said research team member Alexandre Rosado in a statement.
Scientists conducted a genetic analysis of samples collected at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida and discovered 53 strains of bacteria belonging to 26 new species. Studying their genomes showed that these microorganisms have unique survival mechanisms, including the ability to repair DNA, detoxify harmful substances and accelerate metabolism.
These discoveries will not only help NASA improve sterility protocols, but could also have practical applications on Earth. Scientists suggest that the genes of the new bacteria could be used in medicine, food preservation and biotechnology. They plan to study the new microbes that can withstand the extreme conditions of space in more detail to make revolutionary discoveries in life science, bioengineering and interplanetary exploration.