Scarce Shelter On Mars

by Jeremy Hsu

for Astrobiology Magazine

Moffett Field CA (SPX) Jun 05, 2009

Extremophile bacteria can tough it out in the Siberian permafrost, but the environment of Mars may still be too hostile for such hardy life.

That's the finding of a recent study conducted by Andrew C. Schuerger, a microbiologist at the University of Florida and the Space Life Sciences Lab at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, and colleagues.

"Very seldom have microbes that grow well under cold or high salt conditions been subjected to Martian conditions," said Schuerger.

Harsh ultraviolet (UV) light proved particularly devastating for the survival of cold-resistant microbes under simulated surface conditions on Mars.

Such findings not only hone the search for traces of Martian life, but also could help focus NASA's procedures to prevent contamination of Mars by Earth microbes.

Full article here:

http://www.marsdaily.com/reports/Scarce_Shelter_On_Mars_999.html