EXAMINING THE PHYSICO-CHEMICAL RESISTANCE OF HALOBACTERIA WITH THE LIVE-DEAD KIT, FOLLOWING EXPOSURE TO SIMULATED MARTIAN ATMOSPHERIC CONDITIONS AND HEAT

摘要

Extraterrestrial halite has been detected in meteorites from Mars and from the asteroids; in addition, the Jovian moon Europa is thought to contain a salty ocean. Therefore halobacteria would be useful model organisms when considering the search for extraterrestrial life. We are developing experimental protocols to evaluate the effects of physico-chemical stress factors, in particular present-day Martian conditions, on halobacteria. But the effect of higher temperatures is also of interest, since Mars may have been warmer in the past, and the Alpine salt sediments are known to have experienced local temperature peaks.