Assessing cell survival and biosignature preservation of the extremely thermoacidophilic archaeon Acidianus manzaensis after exposure to Mars-like conditions
Abstract
Considering the harsh surface conditions on Mars, terrestrial organisms that can survive and remain detectable after exposure to similar conditions provide invaluable models for guiding current and future search-for-life missions. To this end, we evaluated the extremophilic archaeon Acidianus manzaensis grown on ESA01-E Mars analog material as a model organism. We exposed cell-mineral mixtures to one month of desiccation and 2 weeks of Mars-like conditions in a Mars simulation chamber to evaluate the potential for cell survival after exposure to these conditions. In the search for reliable biomarkers in other planetary environments, such as Mars, molecules that are stable over geological timescales while preserving information indicative of their potential biological origin are crucial. Thiophene-bearing quinones fulfill these requirements, and thiophenes, which are their basic moieties, have been discovered on Mars. Therefore, we analysed the thiophene-bearing quinone composition of A. manzaensis using mass spectrometry-based metabolomics and discussed potential molecular alterations. Successful recultivation after 1 month of desiccation and 2 weeks of exposure to Mars-like conditions proved the durability of the organism and its capability for cell recovery after exposure to extreme conditions, paving the way for further investigation.
Related
- Molecular diversity as a biosignature
- A Covariance-Aware Framework for Spatially Resolved Exoplanet Biosignature Inference with the Solar Gravitational Lens
- Radiation limits on amino acid preservation and chiral measurement at Oxia Planum
- Preservation of organic molecules in silica and sepiolite clay under UV radiation
- Assessing the impact of background subtraction on a dust-free corona
BibTeX
@article{gfellner2026assessing,
title = {{Assessing cell survival and biosignature preservation of the extremely thermoacidophilic archaeon Acidianus manzaensis after exposure to Mars-like conditions}},
author = {Sebastian V Gfellner and Janina Groninga and Cyril Colas and Guillaume Gabant and Andreas Lorek and Stephen Garland and Mickael Baqué},
journal = {FEMS Microbes},
year = {2026},
month = aug,
doi = {10.1093/femsmc/xtag043},
url = {https://hal.science/hal-05731945v1},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Assessing cell survival and biosignature preservation of the extremely thermoacidophilic archaeon Acidianus manzaensis after exposure to Mars-like conditions
AU - Sebastian V Gfellner
AU - Janina Groninga
AU - Cyril Colas
AU - Guillaume Gabant
AU - Andreas Lorek
AU - Stephen Garland
AU - Mickael Baqué
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/08/31
JO - FEMS Microbes
DO - 10.1093/femsmc/xtag043
UR - https://hal.science/hal-05731945v1
AB - Considering the harsh surface conditions on Mars, terrestrial organisms that can survive and remain detectable after exposure to similar conditions provide invaluable models for guiding current and future search-for-life missions. To this end, we evaluated the extremophilic archaeon Acidianus manzaensis grown on ESA01-E Mars analog material as a model organism. We exposed cell-mineral mixtures to one month of desiccation and 2 weeks of Mars-like conditions in a Mars simulation chamber to evaluate the potential for cell survival after exposure to these conditions. In the search for reliable biomarkers in other planetary environments, such as Mars, molecules that are stable over geological timescales while preserving information indicative of their potential biological origin are crucial. Thiophene-bearing quinones fulfill these requirements, and thiophenes, which are their basic moieties, have been discovered on Mars. Therefore, we analysed the thiophene-bearing quinone composition of A. manzaensis using mass spectrometry-based metabolomics and discussed potential molecular alterations. Successful recultivation after 1 month of desiccation and 2 weeks of exposure to Mars-like conditions proved the durability of the organism and its capability for cell recovery after exposure to extreme conditions, paving the way for further investigation.
SN - 2633-6685
ER -