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A robust microbe capable of surviving in conditions similar to the extreme environments found on Mars has been discovered. The body thrives in one of the hottest places on the planet in salt water supersaturated at 89 ° C (192 ° F) and strongly acidic. And the discovery offers the first evidence of a species' survival in the hot springs of the Ethiopian region. Scientists say that the similarities with the early March environment will reveal more secrets about the Earth and the origins of the red planet.
The groundbreaking research took place in the Dallol hydrothermal field in Ethiopia, in the Danakil Depression, considered the hottest place in the world.
Located on the northern edge of the Danakil Depression, this surreally colored region has average annual high temperatures of 38 ° C (100 ° F).
Dr. Felipe Gómez, of the Spanish Center for Astrobiology, said: "It is an extremely exotic, extremely extreme environment, with organisms that need to love the temperature, the salt content and the very low pH to survive. "
The unusual geochemistry of Dallol is closely related to the hydrothermal environments on Mars, including the Gusev crater, explored by NASA's Spirit Mars robot.
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Spirit, the US Space Agency, was a rover robot on Mars, active from 2004 to 2010.
NASA sent Spirit to explore Mars and look for signs of ancient alien life, which was touted when it uncovered evidence that Mars was much wetter.
The distinctive extraterrestrial landscape of the Dallol depression consists of saturated precipitation of salts, including iron sulphide, manganese dioxide and silver chloride.
And the volcanic activity of Ethiopia warms the water enriched in gas emitted by a huge reservoir of magma located under the region.
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Scientists collected samples of the Dallol volcano in thin layers of salt deposits from supersaturated water with an extremely acidic pH of 0.25.
These samples were taken from the wall of a yellow chimney and a pool of blue water around it.
And they were analyzed using a variety of methods, including electron microscopy, chemical analysis, and DNA sequencing.
This allowed scientists to identify spherical microscopic structures within carbon-rich salts, confirming the presence of a biological species.
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The microbes have been discovered to be an undiscovered strain of the Nanohaloarchaeles Order bacterium.
The researchers wrote: "The results of this study suggest that microorganisms can survive and potentially live in this extreme environment, which has implications for understanding the limits of habitability on Earth and in early March. "
Professor Barbara Cavalazzi of the University of Bologna, lead author of the study, said: "A thorough study of the features of this exceptional site will enhance our understanding of the limits of life on Earth and illuminate our search for life on Mars and elsewhere in the universe. . "
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