Researchers have recently made significant strides in understanding the potential for life on Mars by studying lichens, which are symbiotic associations between fungi and photosynthetic bacteria or algae. In a groundbreaking experiment, scientists bombarded two lichen species with a year’s worth of Martian radiation in just five hours. The findings appeared online March 31 in the journal IMA Fungus. They recommend these extremophiles as prime contenders for coming missions to Mars.
The study was carried out by the Space Research Centre of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw. They were able to accurately recreate Martian atmospheric pressure, temperatures and atmospheric composition. This innovative approach allowed researchers to observe how the lichens reacted to conditions similar to those on the Red Planet. Those findings suggest that lichens may actually have the doggedness necessary to cling on in even that most forbidding of environments.
Lichens as Candidates for Mars Missions
Lichens have recently come into the spotlight as ideal model organisms for future Mars missions thanks to their incredible resilience. The study focused on two particular species: Diploschistes muscorum and Cetraria aculeata. Researchers wanted to find out how well these species would do in simulated Martian conditions, particularly when it comes to ionizing radiation.
Ordinarily, it would take one full year’s worth of radiation exposure to equal one dose of what these species experienced in just five hours. This surprising experiment has raised speculation on their possible suitability to life on Mars.
Results
The results showed that Diploschistes muscorum exhibited the most resistances to radiation. As a result, it suffered significantly lower levels of cellular harm than its twin. This resilience makes it a top contender for any future colonization attempts on Mars.
“Ultimately, this research deepens our knowledge of lichen adaptation and their potential for colonizing extraterrestrial environments.” – Kaja Skubała, a researcher at the Institute of Botany at the Jagellonian University in Krakow, Poland
Implications for Future Research
The implications of this research go further than improving our understanding of lichens. The scientific community has shown growing interest in understanding how different life forms are able to survive and thrive in extreme environments — especially on other planets. Though lichens have shown themselves to be tough little survivors, they’re not the only ones that can hold out through the apocalypse.
One desert moss species was found to be remarkably resistant to gamma radiation and extreme heat. Such hardiness opens the door for the possibility of other living things to outlive Mars’ catastrophic changes. Some microbes can survive that deeply under the surface for hundreds of millions of years, going into a hibernation-like state. This is a testament to the amazing things we can achieve when we work to preserve life beyond our planet.
“These findings expand our understanding of biological processes under simulated Martian conditions and reveal how hydrated organisms respond to ionizing radiation,” – Kaja Skubała
The Future of Life on Mars
Though there are still many questions to be answered, with each new study the possibilities of Martian life seem ever more achievable. Researching lichens is only a small part of the larger picture of understanding biology beyond our planet. Understanding which organisms are best suited for Martian conditions could inform future missions aimed at exploring and possibly colonizing the planet.
It was an interesting study, showing how flexible and versatile lichens–or symbioses, in general–can be. That makes us start thinking about what other extremophiles we can find in other harsh conditions. The next step that scientists are most interested in focusing on is determining how these organisms would react to Martian soil, atmosphere and various environmental conditions.
