Single biggest obstacle to Earth bacteria thriving on Mars

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers on the challenges that Earth bacteria, particularly extremophiles, would face if introduced to the Martian environment. Participants explore various factors such as temperature, atmospheric pressure, radiation, and the availability of water and organic material, considering both theoretical implications and potential biological adaptability.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants suggest that lack of organic material and liquid water are critical factors for bacteria's survival on Mars, while noting that multiple factors are significant.
  • There is a discussion about the adaptability of extremophiles, with some arguing that while certain organisms thrive in extreme Earth environments, they may not survive in Martian conditions.
  • One participant posits that it would be remarkable to identify a bacterium capable of surviving and proliferating on Mars without human assistance.
  • Another viewpoint emphasizes that while some extremophiles may survive specific Martian conditions, finding one that can withstand all simultaneously is unlikely.
  • Participants mention specific extremophiles, such as Deinococcus radiodurans, as potential candidates for survival on Mars due to their resilience to radiation and extreme conditions.
  • There is a question about whether extremophiles can survive without oxygen and liquid water, with some arguing that Mars' conditions may not be as hostile as a vacuum.
  • Concerns are raised about low atmospheric pressure on Mars and its unknown effects on extremophiles.
  • Some participants discuss the possibility of Earth bacteria surviving a transfer to Mars via meteorite impacts, referencing historical events that could have facilitated such transfers.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a range of views on the survivability of extremophiles on Mars, with no consensus reached on which specific factor is the most significant obstacle. The discussion includes both agreement on the challenges posed by Martian conditions and disagreement on the potential for certain bacteria to adapt and survive.

Contextual Notes

There are limitations in the discussion regarding the assumptions about extremophile adaptability and the specific conditions on Mars. The exploration of microbial survival is speculative, and the discussion reflects varying degrees of uncertainty about the implications of each factor mentioned.

  • #61
The question reminded me of the article that BillTree mentions, that shows how UV light is probably the largest problem on the surface. (Mind that the experiment is limited as of yet using just one hardy strain; though since it was drought resistant it should also be radiation resistant due to the copious DNA repair mechanisms.)The question is hard to answer since it maps a lot of source ecologies of thermophiles onto a lot of potential cornucopia of ecologies on Mars from the top of its atmosphere way down in the crust. The most promising current habitat would be deep in the crust, in which case any living populations would share much the same conditions as deep in our crust. Though Yggdrasil's article may point in other directions...On another matter, though I appreciate curiosity on behalf of science I also appreciate (due) diligence. Here are some curious references that a modicum of googling would have rejected:
infinitebubble said:
Interesting... there were meteorite rocks with bacteria found within these rocks blasted from Mars during a strike from a meteor long ago.See: http://www.lpi.usra.edu/lpi/meteorites/The_Meteorite.shtml
The modern consensus is that it was neither nano-cells (too small to be anything like "bacteria") nor fossil remains of them. Every property found has an abiotic explanation. [ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allan_Hills_84001 ]
infinitebubble said:
http://www.iflscience.com/space/marine-plankton-found-surface-international-space-station/How could such plankton survive ...
There are - as far as I know - no peer review articles that has shown any such data.
syhprum1 said:
I understand that bacteria were found on a TV camera that was returned from the Moon by one of the Apollo misions
Due to failures of protocol lab contamination after opening the camera cannot be excluded and is the most likely explanation. [ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reports_of_Streptococcus_mitis_on_the_Moon ]
 

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