Latest news with #microbes
CBC
23-05-2025
- Science
- CBC
With uncertainty around life on Mars, human visits present an ethical dilemma
The first step by a human on the surface of Mars will inevitably transfer Earthly microbes onto Martian soil. Scientists are increasingly concerned with what the implications of contaminating another planet will be. A recent study, published this month in the journal Microbiome, analyzed the clean rooms at the Kennedy Space Center, where Mars landers are sterilized before launch. The team found 26 species of novel bacteria that could potentially survive the harsh environment of space. These organisms contain genes that enhance DNA repair, detoxification of harmful molecules, and enhance metabolism, all of which makes them more hardy. NASA goes to great lengths to ensure any spacecraft that departs for Mars is sterilized in these ultra-clean rooms and sealed in capsules before launch to prevent cross-contamination between two planets. We don't know whether any of these microbes actually made it to Mars because we have no way of examining the spacecraft while they are on the Red Planet. The chances of microbes surviving the vacuum of space, extreme temperatures, along with solar and cosmic radiation are slim, however there was a case where Earth microbes did seem to survive for years on the moon. In 1969, the crew of Apollo 12 landed close to a robotic probe called Surveyor 3 which had arrived on the lunar surface three years earlier. The astronauts removed a television camera, electrical cables and a sample scoop which were returned to Earth for study on the long term effects of exposure to space. To everyone's surprise, a common bacteria, Streptococcus mitis, was found inside the camera lens. This harmless organism, normally found in the mouth and throat of humans, was thought to have been on the spacecraft before launch because Surveyor was not sterilized. A later study done by NASA in 1998 suggested the bacteria could have come from contamination due to poor procedures after the lens was returned to Earth. But there is still the possibility that microbes could survive in space. Sterilizing a robotic spacecraft to prevent contamination is one thing, but sterilizing human beings is impossible. We are substantially made of bacteria, covered in microbes from head to toe and internally, constantly shedding them with dead skin and other detritus. And those organisms will travel with us to Mars. WATCH | Saturday cleaning day on the Space Station: New species of bacteria have been found inside China's Tiangong-1 space station and astronauts on the International Space Station are constantly cleaning the walls to prevent the buildup of microbes in that sealed environment. This is evidence that bacteria can survive the higher radiation environment of a space habitat. That means any human boot that touches the Martian soil will bring with it organisms from inside the spacecraft or colony. Whether those bugs could survive long in the Martian environment is to be determined, but the more serious issue is what they would do to any indigenous organisms that could already be living on Mars. Curiosity, one of the rovers currently driving around on the Red Planet, has been collecting soil samples from different areas and sealing them in tubes to be collected and returned to Earth by a future sample return mission. The idea is to look for signs of current life or fossils of past life using the powerful tools in Earth laboratories. But NASA is proposing cancelling the sample return, so we may not know for some time whether microbes exist in Martian soil. Mars shows signs of a warm and wet past, where the planet was once covered with lakes, rivers and oceans. This was during a time, roughly three billion years ago, when life was emerging on Earth. So far, no signs of life have been found on Mars, but we have only been looking on the surface, not underground where water might exist. Still, there is talk of sending people to Mars, even establishing a Mars colony. But is that wise before we determine whether the planet has life or not? In the classic science fiction story, War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells, Martians come to Earth with invincible machines that wreak havoc on cities. Our most powerful weapons are useless against their incredible power. But eventually, the invaders are taken down by the tiniest creature, the common cold, for which they had no resistance. In real life, the tables are turned.
Gizmodo
20-05-2025
- Science
- Gizmodo
Unidentified Bacterial Strain Discovered Inside China's Space Station
The microbes could potentially pose a threat to the health of astronauts on board Tiangong. In October 2022, China launched the final module of its orbiting space station. Since then, it hasn't just been astronauts aboard Tiangong—an unusual and previously unknown microbe has also been occupying low Earth orbit. A group of scientists examined swabs collected from inside the Tiangong space station, revealing a form of bacteria not known to inhabit Earth. The discovery, published in the International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology, highlights the need to study the newly identified microbial strain to protect the health of the astronauts on board the Chinese space station. The previously unknown microbe, named Niallia tiangongensis after the space station where it was discovered, has proven especially resilient, surviving in the harsh conditions of microgravity. Tiangong's Shenzhou-15 astronauts swabbed a cabin on the space station in May 2023 as part of a survey by the China Space Station Habitation Area Microbiome Program. Follow-up studies of the swabs traced the newly discovered microbe to a strain that appears similar to Niallia circulans—a rod-shaped, spore-forming bacterium originally isolated from soil. It's not clear whether the strain evolved on the space station or had already evolved on Earth before hitching a ride to low Earth orbit. The newly described species can break down gelatin for nitrogen and carbon, helping it endure harsh conditions by forming a protective biofilm. It also packs its essential chemistry into tough spores, allowing it to survive in extreme environments. Last year, scientists uncovered a mutated strain of drug-resistant bacteria thriving under the harsh conditions of space aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Although Niallia tiangongensis and its ISS counterpart are both space-faring strains, they differ in composition and function, according to the paper. It's not clear if the bacterium poses a threat to the Tiangong astronauts, but the scientists behind the discovery say further examination of the new strain needs to be carried out. 'Understanding the characteristics of microbes during long-term space missions is essential for safeguarding the health of astronauts and maintaining the functionality of spacecraft,' the paper reads.
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Microbes that capture CO2 quickly could offer promising solution to climate change
Researchers have discovered a microbe that can capture carbon dioxide quickly, and it sinks, essentially sequestering concentrated carbon Chonkus, the microbe is a type of cyanobacteria, which feeds on carbon dioxide through photosynthesis like plants. Researchers revealed that only these can consume much more CO2 than their multi-celled from Colorado State University found that these microbes, or microscopic organisms, have adapted to harsh conditions and have developed specialized traits – some of which could be beneficial to people by gobbling up carbon dioxide or cleaning harmful pollutants from the environment. "We believe that we have found new organisms, and we know that they have unique characteristics purely from the fact that they're growing and thriving in some of these unusual environments," said James Henriksen, a Colorado State University scientist."Half the air you're breathing comes from microbes. There's not just unknown species. It's like there's a rainforest everywhere you look, and we know almost nothing about the organisms there and what they can do."The microbiologist highlighted that such microbes play key roles in carbon and nitrogen cycles and are essential for life on the planet. Henriksen said that homes are colonized by bacteria that are harmless and just part of the household microbes aren't visible to the naked eye, but once enough of these microscopic, single-celled organisms build up into a noticeable film, they are demonstrating capabilities that could potentially be harnessed to solve human problems. Researchers revealed that the extremophiles can be found in places that are hot or cold or that alternate between wet and dry. Henriksen and his team, which includes undergraduate student researchers from across the University, will decipher the DNA of all the organisms collected for testing through metagenomic sequencing. Samples will be frozen and stored for future study, and organisms with valuable characteristics will be cultivated and tested, according to a press release. They believe that these organisms, which might be lurking in the dark recesses of our homes, could be climate change solutions. Natural springs have unusual chemistry, and Colorado, California, and other western states have a lot of springs rich in carbon dioxide that could contain useful microbes. The Extremophile Campaign: In Your Home – a partnership among CitSci (short for citizen science), the Two Frontiers Project and SeedLabs – launched in October to leverage participatory science in the quest to identify helpful organisms. Henriksen said they've already made some new discoveries. "Life is surviving and thriving in this hot water, in water that is as carbonated as soda pop and as acidic as lemon juice," said Henriksen. "Microbes are pulling high concentrations of CO2 out of the water, out of the air, and they're building that slime or the green algae that you see."
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Scaly-foot snail: The armor-plated hermaphrodite with a giant heart that lives near scalding deep-sea volcanoes and never eats
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. QUICK FACTS Name: Scaly-foot snail (Chrysomallon squamiferum) Where it lives: Hydrothermal vents on the seafloor of the Indian Ocean What it eats: As an adult, it doesn't! All of the snail's nutrition is generated internally, by endosymbiotic bacteria — microbes that live in the snail's gut. The scaly-foot snail, or volcano snail, possesses something unique among gastropods: a coat of protective armor covering its foot, made from hundreds of overlapping iron-infused scales. It fortifies these scales with minerals absorbed from the hot liquid spewed by hydrothermal vents and black smoker chimneys at the bottom of the Indian Ocean, where water can reach temperatures of 752 degrees Fahrenheit (400 degrees Celsius). Related: Elusive colossal squid finally caught on camera 100 years after discovery in world 1st footage Within the snail's scales, sulfur reacts with iron ions to form iron sulfide nanoparticles. Further toughening the snail's defenses is an outer layer of iron sulfide in its shell, making it the only known multicellular animal to strengthen its skeleton with iron. When the National Museum of Wales acquired a pair of specimens in 2015, curators were told to avoid using any water in the preservative solution, because otherwise the snails would start to rust. Underneath all that armor, the scaly-foot snail has a big heart — the largest in the Animal Kingdom relative to the animal's size — making up about 4% of the volume of its entire body. In waters where oxygen levels are low, that enormous heart also supplies oxygen to the symbiotic bacteria that live in the snail's esophageal gland and act as a built-in food factory. The snails, whose shells measure about 2 inches (5 centimeters) in length on average, are sometimes called "sea pangolins" for their resemblance to the armor-plated land mammal. Individuals have both male and female sex organs. They creep along the ocean bottom at depths of approximately 1.7 miles (2,780 meters), and are known from just three hydrothermal vent fields to the east of Mauritius, an island off the southeastern coast of Africa. RELATED STORIES —Bone collector caterpillar: The very hungry caterpillar of your nightmares —Mount Kaputar pink slug: The giant hot-pink mollusk found only on a single, extinct volcano —Leaf sheep: The adorable solar-powered sea slug that looks like Shaun the Sheep While the snails' potential habitat adds up to around 0.1 square miles (0.3 square kilometers), the range where they are currently found covers just 0.008 square miles (0.02 sq km). But even this tiny sliver of the deep ocean is becoming unsafe for the snails, due to human activity. In 2019, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) added scaly-foot snails to its Red List of life at risk of extinction. The snails became the first animal to be listed as "endangered" due to threats to two of its three habitat locations from deep sea mining.
TechCrunch
15-05-2025
- Science
- TechCrunch
Fieldstone Bio is building microbes that can sense everything from TNT to arsenic
The world is awash in data about, well, the world — thanks to satellites and environmental sensors. But there's still a lot we can't see, and Fieldstone Bio thinks microbes can change that. 'They've evolved to sense and respond to information. It's just trillions of calculations going on at all times all around us,' Brandon Fields, Fieldstone Bio's co-founder and chief science officer, told TechCrunch. 'How do we take that and actually manipulate that to gain benefits for us?' Fieldstone's technology emerged from that question. The startup was founded in 2023 after spinning out of MIT, where professor Chris Voigt's lab had developed a way to turn microbes into sensors. The scientists programmed the microbes to change color when they encountered something of interest, whether it be nutrients in soil or landmines hidden in the dirt, and then figured out how to detect them. 'The key technology out of Chris' lab is this idea of, 'How do we actually visualize these cells from really far away?'' Fields said. Fieldstone Bio recently raised $5 million in seed funding led by Ubiquity Ventures with participation from E14 and LDV Capital, the company exclusively told TechCrunch. The startup has been testing its technology in the lab, and the funding will let it test those microbes in the real world. Each strain is tailored to sense a particular compound, such as nitrogen on a farm field or TNT residue from a landmine. 'We isolate microbes from the environments we want to sense,' Fields said. 'We build our sensors the DNA pieces, and we just drop them into these different ones and see which ones behave the best, which ones can last the longest.' Techcrunch event Join us at TechCrunch Sessions: AI Secure your spot for our leading AI industry event with speakers from OpenAI, Anthropic, and Cohere. For a limited time, tickets are just $292 for an entire day of expert talks, workshops, and potent networking. Exhibit at TechCrunch Sessions: AI Secure your spot at TC Sessions: AI and show 1,200+ decision-makers what you've built — without the big spend. Available through May 9 or while tables last. Berkeley, CA | REGISTER NOW Once the microbes are ready, Fieldstone will broadcast them using drones. After the microbes have some time to sense their environment — several hours to days, depending on the target — the company will have another drone snap photos of the area. The images aren't the usual aerial photography seen on Google Maps. Rather, they're taken using what's known as a hyperspectral camera, which divide visible and infrared light into as many as 600 different colors. Because Fieldstone's microbes will reflect light at a very specific wavelength, it can train AI models to look for those signals amid a torrent of data. 'That's where the power of AI comes in, because we can start using that information to tease out these really faint signals to produce really cool heat maps of the microbe sensing the environment,' Fields said. In addition to agriculture and national security applications, Fieldstone is also programming microbes to detect environmental contaminants like arsenic, CEO Patrick Stone said. 'Instead of going to do core soil samples over every 100 feet — and then you have 100 foot resolution — we could get a one-inch resolution and really map out exactly where they need to go clean up stuff,' he said. Gene edited microbial sensors broadcast over farm fields are sure to raise the eyebrows among people who oppose genetic modification. Fields said that the company has been in contact with the EPA to ensure that the company follows regulations. Fields said that, over time, he hopes the company's database will become large enough that it can train models to associate other signals in the environment with whatever data is returned by the microbes. That would allow hyperspectral cameras to detect, say, arsenic contamination without needing to spread the engineered microbes. 'Eventually, you don't need to apply the microbe at all,' Fields said. 'You have drones, planes, and satellites now collecting information about chemical information on a global scale.'
