In 2007, NASA discovered a new species of bacteria called Tersicoccus phoenicis in two sterile spacecraft assembly rooms located far apart. These rooms must be thoroughly cleaned: heated, dried, treated with chemicals, ultraviolet rays and radiation. However, these bacteria still survive.
A recent study shows that T. phoenicis is actually “playing dead.” When the bacteria is deprived of nutrients and dries out as much as possible, it enters a dormant state, outwardly showing no signs of life. However, when a certain protein was introduced, the bacteria “revived” and functioned normally again.
The scientists note that the ability to temporarily suspend metabolism makes the survival of these bacteria on spacecraft surfaces and in space “more likely” than previously thought.
The most interesting thing is that one of the sterile rooms was used to prepare the Phoenix Mars probe. This raises the question: could bacteria reach Mars? Experts believe the likelihood is very low because the planet's surface is extremely hostile to life, but it's impossible to say for sure.
