Kombucha bacteria survived on Mars. This is more important than it seems at first

An international research team, which includes the University of Göttingen, has done an interesting study assessing the chances of kombucha crops surviving under conditions that are very similar to those on Mars. The scientists noted that kombucha is known as a drink that is made by fermenting tea using cultures of the fungus, a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast. And although the simulated Martian environment eventually destroyed the microbial ecology of the culture, the bacteria that produce cellulose, to the surprise of scientists and the entire scientific community, survived – this was written in the scientific journal Frontiers in Microbiology.

Bertram Brenig, head and professor at the Institute of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Göttingen, was responsible for sequencing and bioinformatic analysis of the metagenomes of reactivated kombucha cultures in a team with other researchers in Brazil. He stated that cellulose-producing bacteria of the genus Komagataeibacter were able to survive. Accordingly, the results of the study demonstrate that it is the cellulose produced by bacteria that is responsible for their survival in extraterrestrial conditions. In addition, and importantly, the results of the analysis are the first evidence that bacterial cellulose can be a biomarker for extraterrestrial life.

The researchers also stated that cellulose-based membranes and films could be an excellent biomaterial for the protection of life and the production of consumer goods in extraterrestrial settlements in the foreseeable future. Moreover, another important aspect of the results of this experiment could be the development of a completely new drug delivery system, for example, for the production of drugs suitable for use in space. But the interesting results of the research do not end there either – scientists have proven that bacteria that survived in Martian conditions showed resistance to antibiotics and metals.

This means that microorganisms can survive in various conditions, even despite antibiotics and metals in the environment:

“The results of our study have clearly demonstrated that the difficulties associated with antibiotic resistance in space medicine should be given much more attention in the foreseeable future,” the scientists added.

It is likely that this scientific breakthrough will significantly affect the future colonization of Mars.

Source: Trash Box

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