'Ryugu’s secrets': Bacteria overruns asteroid sample in just 7 days, Japan baffled
Produced by: Mohsin Shaikh
Asteroid Intrusion
Earth bacteria invaded Japan’s Ryugu asteroid sample within a week of exposure, rapidly colonizing the extraterrestrial material.
Space Origins
Collected by JAXA’s Hayabusa2 spacecraft in 2018, the Ryugu sample reached Earth in 2020 and underwent global scientific examination.
Rapid Colonizers
The bacteria, likely soil-based Bacillus, multiplied from 11 to 147 within a week of the sample’s exposure to Earth’s atmosphere, as noted by lead researcher Matthew Genge from Imperial College London.
Credit: JAXA
Not Alien
Nano-X-ray tomography confirmed no microbes were present before the sample's exposure, ruling out extraterrestrial origins of the contamination.
Bacteria Resilience
The study highlights the adaptability of Earth’s microbes, capable of thriving on extraterrestrial material and metabolizing it with ease.
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Contamination Risk
The findings raise concerns about space missions contaminating other planets, particularly Mars, where life-detection missions are underway.
Planetary Protection
Space agencies employ strict planetary protection protocols to minimize contamination risks, but this study emphasizes the challenges of complete sterilization.
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Implications for Life
The ability of Earth microbes to colonize asteroids suggests the potential for microbial survival and ecosystem formation on Mars or other planets.
Future Goals
Genge’s team will study more asteroid samples from Ryugu and Bennu, aiming for contamination-free materials to better explore their pristine extraterrestrial properties.
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