A.K. Pavlov

Growth of microorganisms in Martian-like shallow subsurface conditions: laboratory modelling

Low atmospheric pressures on Mars and the lack of substantial amounts of liquid water were suggested to be among the major limiting factors for the potential Martian biosphere. However, large amounts of ice were detected in the relatively shallow subsurface layers of Mars by the Odyssey Mission and when ice sublimates the water vapour can diffuse through the porous surface layer of the soil. Here we studied the possibility for the active growth of microorganisms in such a vapour diffusion layer. Our results showed the possibility of metabolism and the reproduction of non-extremophile terrestrial microorganisms (Vibrio sp.) under very low (0.01–0.1 mbar) atmospheric pressures in a Martian-like shallow subsurface regolith.

100 kGy gamma-affected microbial communities within the ancient Arctic permafrost under simulated Martian conditions

This research aimed to investigate the viability and biodiversity of microbial communities within ancient Arctic permafrost after exposure to a gamma-radiation dose of 100xa0kGy at low temperature (−xa050xa0°C), low pressure (1xa0Torr) and dehydration conditions. The main objective was to assess the possibility for long-term survival of Earth-bound microorganisms in the subsurface of Martian regolith or inside small space bodies at constant absorption and accumulation of the gamma radiation dose. Investigated microbial communities had shown high resistance to a simulated Martian environment. After irradiation the total count of prokaryotic cells and number of metabolically active bacterial cells remained at the control level, while the number of bacterial CFUs decreased by 2 orders of magnitude, and the number of metabolically active cells of archaea decreased threefold. Besides, the abundance of culturable bacteria after irradiation was kept at a high level: not less than 3.7xa0×xa0105xa0cells/g. Potential metabolic activity of irradiated microbial communities in general were higher than in the control sample. A fairly high biodiversity of bacteria was detected in the exposed sample of permafrost, although the microbial community structure underwent significant changes after irradiation. In particular, actinobacteria populations of the genus Arthrobacter, which was not revealed in the control samples, became predominant in bacterial communities following the exposure. The results of the study testify that long-term preservation of microbial life inside Martian permafrost is possible. The data obtained can also be evaluated from the perspective of the potential for discovering viable Earth-bound microorganisms on other objects in the Solar system and inside of small bodies in outer space.

Microbial activity in Martian analog soils after ionizing radiation: implications for the preservation of subsurface life on Mars

At present, the surface of Mars is affected by a set of factors that can prevent the survival of Earth-like life. However, the modern concept of the evolution of the planet assumes the existence more favorable for life climate in the past. If in the past on Mars had formed a biosphere, similar to the one that originated in the early Earth, it is supposed that it is preserved till now in anabiotic state in the bowels of the planet, like microbial communities inhabiting the ancient permafrost of Arctic and Antarctic. In the conditions of modern Martian regolith, this relic life seems to be deprived of the possibility of damage reparation (or these processes occur on a geological time scale), and ionizing radiation should be considered the main factor inhibiting such anabiotic life. In the present study, we studied soil samples, selected in two different extreme habitats of the Earth: ancient permafrost from the Dry Valleys of Antarctica and Xerosol soil from the mountain desert in Morocco, gamma-irradiated with 40 kGy dose at low pressure (1 Torr) and low temperature (−50 °C). Microbial communities inhabiting these samples showed in situ high resistance to the applied effects, retained high number of viable cells, metabolic activity, and high biodiversity. Based on the results, it is assumed that the putative biosphere could be preserved in the dormant state for at least 500 thousand years and 8 million years in the surface layer of Mars regolith and at 5 m depth, respectively, at the current level of ionizing radiation intensity.