Scientists Believe Earth's Microbes Could Live On Mars

JAKARTA - Scientists are continuing to investigate whether there are signs of life that can be found on mars. Rovers from a number of space agencies continue to arrive on the Red Planet. Human delivery to Mars will materialize in the coming years.

When that happens, scientists predict the possibility of microbes hitchhiking on the way to Mars. This was revealed by Christopher Mason, a professor at Weill Cornell University.

According to Sputnik News, Mason assessed a number of living things from earth likely to hitchhike to Mars via spacecraft.

Mason said nasa engineers implemented "strict and thorough" protocols when designing spacecraft to "minimize the number of organisms that may accidentally hitchhike on space missions." A number of organisms may have survived and taken part in the journey to Mars, as compiled by the BBC.

"Microbes have been on Earth for billions of years, and they're everywhere," Mason said.

"They (the microbes) are inside us, in our bodies, and around us. Some (microbes) can sneak even through the cleanest 'clean rooms'," he added.

According to Mason, the microbes could "potentially cause problems during missions into space."

"These organisms have increased the number of genes for DNA repair, they have more resistance to radiation, they can form biofilms on surfaces and equipment, are able to survive dry conditions and can thrive in cold conditions," Mason said.

"Even clean rooms could possibly serve as an evolutionary selection process for the most resilient insects who are likely to have a greater chance of surviving during the journey to Mars."

He also added that future manned missions to Mars could potentially bring microbes into the human body when it reaches the Red Planet.

In addition, Mason also claims the microbes will be able to adapt and mutate in new places. According to him, the way microbes adapt is very useful to be studied by humans.

"These microbes are most likely adaptable, mutated and altered. And we can also learn from them."

He added microbes could be used for scientists' research. Because unique genomes capable of adapting on Mars can be sequenced and sent back to Earth for research.