Scientists have made a surprising discovery that brings us closer than ever to the concept of a ‘Green Mars’ by discovering a species of desert moss – Syntrichia caninervis – that may be able to act as a pioneer in colonizing the Red Planet. A paper published in Innovation (Cell Press) This amazing plant’s abilities to lose over 98 percent of cellular water and completely resume its photosynthetic activity within two seconds of rehydration have been described.This moss has been tested under ‘Mars simulation’ conditions, where it survived extreme temperatures of up to -196 degrees Celsius and received high doses of radiation, which would be lethal to most living organisms on Earth. It was pointed out by Chinese Academy of Sciences This moss is therefore classified as ‘extremotolerant’ and has demonstrated greater survivability than tardigrades, providing a biological model in which to aid future terraforming efforts and sustainable oxygen production on other planets.
This ‘dead’ plant comes back to life in 2 seconds after losing 98% of its water
Syntrichia caninervis has been shown to have almost superhuman powers of survival under complete dehydration. Research published in journal Innovation (Cell Press) Algae have been shown to lose as much as 98 percent of their cellular water and remain dormant for many years. Amazingly, when re-exposed to moisture, this moss can ‘come back to life’ and begin photosynthesis again within two seconds, making it an excellent plant for the dry, dusty conditions of Mars.
ability to survive in adverse conditions
To test its capabilities, scientists placed Kai in a ‘Mars simulation’ chamber, which contained 95 percent air (carbon dioxide), very low atmospheric pressure and very high levels of ultraviolet radiation (UV). according to Chinese Academy of SciencesThe moss survived the conditions for seven days and then regenerated new green branches. The survival rate of this species under these conditions indicates that it has the ability to survive on Mars, where the atmosphere is extremely thin and unbreathable for humans, much better than any other known complex organism.
Beating deep-freeze and radiation
Moss can survive extreme cold and radiation better than any other organism, including tardigrades (water bears). According to the journal The Innovation (Cell Press), the moss was kept at -196 degrees Celsius (in liquid nitrogen) and exposed to 5,000 Gy of radiation for 30 days. Radiation doses of only 5 to 10 Gy are typically lethal to humans, but this moss surprisingly survived up to 5,000 Gy; Therefore, the algae is able to repair its DNA, making it a biological tank that can tolerate the harsh cosmic radiation found in deep space.
laying the groundwork for the future
While the moss cannot be eaten by humans, it is a candidate to become a ‘pioneer species’ for humanity to be able to grow food on Mars in the future. According to experts who were quoted research gateAs the moss grows and then decays, it produces organic material that mixes with the sterile Martian sand (regolith), creating fertile soil over time, giving future colonists the opportunity to grow crops like potatoes or oxygen-producing trees in greenhouses on Mars.
