There’s a Species on Earth That Can Thrive in Harsh Conditions Like Mars

One species of plant on the planet lives in conditions so harsh that they are almost sterile. Scientists have discovered that they can lay the foundation for entire fields of rocks, sand and other life forms to create diverse ecosystems, reports Science Alert.

In a new study, a team of biologists from the Jagiellonian University in Poland and the Polish Academy of Sciences conducted an experiment at the Space Research Centre. The scientists wanted to find out what physical and biochemical properties help lichens survive in Martian-like conditions while remaining metabolically active.

According to the lead author of the study, botanist Kaja Skubala from the Jagiellonian University, his and his colleagues’ experiment demonstrated for the first time in history that the metabolism of the fungal partner in the lichen symbiosis remained active in an environment that resembles the surface of the Red Planet.

The scientists’ results expand our understanding of biological processes in simulated Martian conditions and show how hydrated organisms react to ionizing radiation. It should be noted that Martian conditions are one of the most important problems for survival and habitability on the Red Planet.

Lichens are known to be very strange structures in which fungi and algae or cyanobacteria combine to form a colony that can survive in incredibly harsh conditions. In fact, scientists believe that these colonies would not be able to survive in such harsh conditions if they were separate.

Previous studies have shown that lichens can go into a dormant state when times are particularly tough, then spring back to life when they have access to water and food. In essence, they are similar to tardigrades, which are also able to survive in particularly harsh conditions.

Because the fungal-algal duos are fundamentally dependent on each other, each lichen species is still named as if it were a single species. The scientists used two species in their simulation: Diploschistes muscorum and Cetraria aculeata.

During the experiment, each lichen was awakened by a water spray and then placed in a vacuum chamber for five hours, with the first two hours set at a Martian daytime surface temperature of 18 degrees Celsius, gradually decreasing to a two-hour Martian night of -26 degrees Celsius.

The tank was also filled with a gas that was 95% carbon dioxide, which allowed the team to simulate the Martian atmosphere, with humidity levels ranging from the extremely dry 8% to 32%. The pressure was set at a very low 5-7 millibars, which is more than 1,000 millibars lower than the pressure of the Earth’s atmosphere at sea level.

Note that how lichens cope with Martian UV radiation and other conditions has already been studied in detail, so the team focused on the ionizing power of X-rays.

During the experiment, the lichens were also exposed to 50 gray of radiation, which is comparable to what is observed on the surface of the Red Planet. Note that Mars has a thin atmosphere and no global magnetic field. These two factors protect the inhabitants of Earth from the onslaught of the sun.

The results show that only one species managed to survive in such harsh conditions: D. Muscorum. It is believed that this species survived thanks to its heavy bark, which is riddled with calcium oxalate crystals inside and out.

Meanwhile, the other species did not fare so well, despite being selected for its ability to survive in extreme conditions on Earth, such as Antarctica and the Arctic.