Until now, it was thought that the surface of Mars was a wasteland, uninhabitable to life. A recent study published in the journal IMA Fungus sheds new light on the subject. Polish researchers have proven that some species of lichen are able to survive conditions on the Red Planet. 

A team of scientists, led by Dr. Kai Skubała from the Jagiellonian University, proved the ability of some lichen species to survive in conditions simulating the Martian environment. The results of the study were published in the journal IMA Fungus (DOI: 10.3897/imafungus.16.145477). 

The work of researchers from the Jagiellonian University and the Space Research Center of the Polish Academy of Sciences focused on two species of lichens – Diploschistes muscorum and Cetraria aculeata, chosen for their different characteristics. They were subjected to a survival test in simulated Martian conditions. 

Source: imafungus.pensoft.net 

In a special test chamber, researchers recreated the Mars-like atmospheric conditions: pressure at 6 hPa, temperatures oscillating from -60 degrees C to -20 degrees C and high levels of X-ray radiation, corresponding to annual exposure on Mars during a period of intense solar activity. 

 The results of the experiments suggest that lichens, especially Diploschistes muscorum species, could survive on Mars despite high doses of X-ray radiation.