Scientists have discovered the ability of living organisms to move between planets

A study by scientists from Johns Hopkins University has shown that microbes trapped in asteroid debris can migrate to other planets, including Earth, and survive. This was reported on March 3 by the Science X news portal.

"Life may actually survive being ejected from one planet and moved to another. This is really a very important discovery that changes our understanding of the origin of life and how life originated on Earth," said K. T. Ramesh, lead author of the study.

According to the study, certain bacteria can withstand the extreme pressure that occurs when ejected from Mars after an asteroid impact, as well as the difficult conditions they encounter during interplanetary travel.

For the analysis, the scientists selected the bacterium Deinococcus radiodurans, known for its resistance to extreme conditions, including cold, drought and radiation. To simulate the conditions of an asteroid impact, scientists used special equipment to create pressure.

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The experimental results showed that the bacteria not only survived impacts with pressures reaching 3 GPa, but also, unlike other samples, did not die, despite severe damage in some cases. The bacteria survived in almost all texts at a pressure of 1.4 Gpa and by 60% at a pressure of 2.4 Gpa. After exposure to higher pressure, the research team found ruptured membranes and internal damage, but in the end, the equipment broke down before the bacteria could be destroyed.

"We expected her to die at the first pressure. We started shooting at her faster and faster. We all tried to kill her, but it was very difficult," said the study's lead author, Lily Zhao.

The authors claim that the results open up new questions for planetary protection. The possibility of life migrating from planet to planet through asteroid impacts raises questions about the infection of other celestial bodies with microbes from Earth and vice versa. According to scientists, the study shows that materials from Mars can reach its moons, such as Phobos, and further affect local ecosystems.

The next steps include research related to the possible effects of repeated asteroid impacts on bacterial populations and their ability to adapt to such stresses. The scientists also plan to study whether other organisms, including fungi, can survive under such conditions.

On January 13, the journal PLoS Biology reported on the strange behavior of viruses during an experiment on the International Space Station (ISS). Researchers experimenting with E. coli and T7 bacteriophages have found that life in space changes the way bacteria and viruses interact with each other. Experts have noticed a holistic deceleration of infections and the evolution of both forms in zero gravity, which is characteristically different from the process on Earth.

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