A bioreactor recently enabled scientists to grow the so-called cyanobacteria under conditions similar to Mars. With deadlines approaching for humanity's first-ever mission on Mars, these experts are conducting experiments to reach the Red Planet as hospitable as possible for humans.
A new study by the Germany-based University of Bremen researchers published in Frontiers in Microbiology, showed for the first time that blue-green algae, also identified as Anabaena cyanobacteria, can be grown successfully under atmospheric conditions on Mars.
Astronauts on the Red Planet will need oxygen, water, food and other consumable products. Therefore, as indicated in an Interesting Engineering article, it is an essential development since it's making it much simpler "to develop sustainable biological life support systems."
'Anabaena'
EurekAlert described Atmos as having nine 1 L vessels made of steel and glass. Each of these vessels is disinfected, heated, pressure-regulated, and electronically monitored, while the cultures inside are constantly stirred.
The study investigators opted for a strain of "nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria" identified as Anabaena sp. PCC 7938, since preliminary trials presented that it would be specifically ideal at using Martian resources and helping to develop other organisms.
Closely related species have been exhibited to be edible, appropriate for genetic engineering, and have the ability to form specialized dormant cells for survival in harsh conditions.
Survival on Mars
For background information, it has been believed that a "cyanobacteria boom" that occurred 2.4 billion years back was greatly accountable for the breathable atmosphere on Earth.
Essentially, the existence of cyanobacteria provided the atmosphere with its oxygen. For this particular reason, as indicated in the said report, "scientists were already considering if and how we could harness" the ability of cyanobacteria to produce oxygen in order to survive on Mars, and probably, on other planets.
Nevertheless, the atmospheric pressure of Mars always exhibited itself as a hindrance. In this particular study, the scientists developed a bioreactor identified as "Atmos."
It is an atmospheric pressure of roughly 10 percent of that of Earth and utilizes only the ingredients that existed on the Red Planet.
Bioreactor
The bioreactor had water as well, which can be collected from the frozen ice of Mars that is not abundant in some areas.
Furthermore, it had had a "Martian regolith simulant," which the scientists prepared by combining minerals that exist on the Red Planet.
Additionally, the system comprising nine glass-and-steel vessels was cautiously regulated and observed at all times.
According to astrobiologist Cyprien Verseux, "Here, we show that cyanobacteria" can utilize gases which are present in the Martian atmosphere, at low total pressure, as their nitrogen and carbon's source.
Under these circumstances, cyanobacteria retained their capability of growing in water that has only Mars-like dust and could still be utilized for feeding other bacteria. This, as indicated in the said report, could help make long-term human missions to Mars sustainable.
Making Life Possible on Mars Someday
The team of scientists now wants to work on the development of a bioreactor system that may make life on this Red Planet possible someday.
According to Verseux, Atmos, their bioreactor, is not the cultivation system they would use on the Martian planet.
Rather, it is meant to test on Earth the conditions they would provide there, elaborated Verseux. The researchers' results, nevertheless, would help guide the design of a cultivation system on Mars. Specifically, the scientists would want to go from this "proof-of-concept" to a system that could be used on Mars effectively.
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