NASA may have met its match in a microscopic stowaway that shrugs off conditions meant to simulate Mars. Researchers found a fungus, Aspergillus calidoustus, lurking in NASA clean rooms used to assemble Mars missions and put its spores through a punishing series of tests: intense radiation, extreme cold, searing heat, and low pressure meant to mimic both space travel and the Martian surface. The spores largely survived, the New York Times reports; nearly half endured six months of neutron radiation. They outlived a benchmark heat-resistant bacterium at 125 degrees Celsius, and they held up against a 24-hour blast of UV radiation combined with Mars-like temperature and pressure, even getting some protection from simulated Martian soil.
The findings, published in Applied and Environmental Microbiology, raise concerns that current sterilization standards—focused mainly on bacteria—may not be enough to keep fungal hitchhikers off Mars, despite existing planetary protection rules. Study authors say the fungus could become a model for tougher decontamination protocols, not just for space missions but for fields like pharmaceuticals and food safety, where similar spores might also slip through heat-based sterilization. "This does not mean contamination of Mars is likely, but it helps us better quantify potential microbial survival risks," said a researcher in a news release, per Discover. "Microorganisms can possess extraordinary resilience to environmental stresses."
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