SCIENCE LAB SCALES : RED PLANET PROTOCOLS

" NASA detects a death-defying fungus that could hitchhike to Mars " :

POP QUIZ : If you were an astronaut trying to endure extreme conditions, where should you look for inspiration ? Sandra Bullock in '' Gravity '' ? Ryan Gosling in '' Project Hail Mary ''? Wrong. Try an asexual reproductive spore.

One in particular, from a fungus called Aspergillus calidoustus, seem almost unkillable. Researchers recently identified the strain living inside NASA facilities and subjected it to brutal challenges that simulate those of space travel and Mars itself.

The scientists findings reveal that unless NASA cleaning protocols change, the robotic systems that explore the surface of MARS could inadvertently infect the planet while colonizing spores.

'' This is really about doing exploration responsibly,'' said Atul M. Chander, a researcher at the  University of  Mississippi. '' As we explore this universe, we want to be able send aircraft without bringing any hardy Earth microbes.''

NASA follows international guidelines called the Planetary Protection protocol aimed at making sure  Earth's biology doesn't taint celestial bodies, and vice versa. The agency also has a team that oversees efforts to avoid cross - contamination on missions.

Previous studies have identified various bacteria and fungi on NASA facility surfaces, including the ultrafiltered clean rooms, where spacecraft are constructed and tested.

Researchers have examined 27 fungal strains taken rom the floors of NASA clean rooms used in the MARS 2020 mission, plus two control microbes that tolerate radiation well.

Most of the samples that survived an ultraviolet screening and underwent more intense treatments died quickly, but the A. calidoustus, taken from FLORIDA ASSEMBLY facility, endured.

The World Students Society thanks Emily Baumgaertner Nunn.