Bacteria to find alien life
A discovery on how bacteria interact salt to build complex 3 D shelters to hibernate has led scientists to believe that micro-organisms can help find signs of life on other planet.
"Given the richness and complexity of these formations , they may be used as bio signatures in the search for life on extremely dry environments outside our own planet , such as the surface of Mars or that of Jupiter's satellite , Europa,"said biologist Jose Maria Gomez from Laboratory of Biomineralogy and Astrobiological Research ( LBMARS ) at University of Valladolid-CSIC, Spain.
The researchers found that where E-coli cells are introduced into a droplet of
salt water and left to dry ,bacteria manipulate the sodium chloride
cristallisation to create an impressive tapestry of biosaline patterns with
complex 3D architecture , where they hibernate .
" The most interesting result is that the bacteria enter a state of
hibernation inside these desiccated patterns , but they can later be ' revived'
simply by rehydration , '' Gomez added .
This is the first report that demon strates how whole bacterial cells can
manage the cristallisation of sodium chloride (NaCl) and genrate self -
organised biosaline structure of a fractal or dendritic appearance .
The LBMARS laboratory is involved in the development of the raman
RLS instrument of the ExoMars rovers , the mission that the European Space
Agency (ESA) will send to the red planet in 2018 , and this new finding may
help them search for possible biological signs .
According to Gomez , "The patterns observed will help calibrate the
instrument and test it's detection of signs of hibernations or traces of
Martian life ."
The researchers found that where E-coli cells are introduced into a droplet of
salt water and left to dry ,bacteria manipulate the sodium chloride
cristallisation to create an impressive tapestry of biosaline patterns with
complex 3D architecture , where they hibernate .
" The most interesting result is that the bacteria enter a state of
hibernation inside these desiccated patterns , but they can later be ' revived'
simply by rehydration , '' Gomez added .
This is the first report that demon strates how whole bacterial cells can
manage the cristallisation of sodium chloride (NaCl) and genrate self -
organised biosaline structure of a fractal or dendritic appearance .
The LBMARS laboratory is involved in the development of the raman
RLS instrument of the ExoMars rovers , the mission that the European Space
Agency (ESA) will send to the red planet in 2018 , and this new finding may
help them search for possible biological signs .
According to Gomez , "The patterns observed will help calibrate the
instrument and test it's detection of signs of hibernations or traces of
Martian life ."
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