Mars-like conditions fail to kill some Earth pathogens, experiments suggest

Microorganisms from our planet could survive on celestial bodies where water is present, such as Mars.

That is the conclusion of Ph.D. candidate Tommaso Zaccaria after experiments with simulated space conditions.

Our immune system reacts less effectively to pathogens that have undergone such a simulated space journey.

According to his supervisors, his dissertation provides extraterrestrial insights that are also useful on Earth. ...