Electron microscope image of sample A0180. (a) Backscattered electron image (BEI) shows a phyllosilicate-dominated matrix with framboidal (fM) and spheroidal (sM) magnetite, dolomite (D), and sulfide (S). There are areas that contain a lot of organic matter (OM). Credit: Meteoritics & Planetary Science (2024). DOI: 10.1111/maps.14288
Panspermia is the hypothesis that life can survive movement between planetary bodies as a secondary pathway for life to originate on planets throughout the solar system. The discovery of extraterrestrial life on asteroids or in meteorites would have major implications for understanding the origin and distribution of life in the universe.
Reports of microorganisms found on chondritic meteorites have long fueled debate about extraterrestrial life reaching Earth and possibly being the origin of life here. Although studies have concluded that these signs of microbes are simply terrestrial contaminants, the argument that they are extraterrestrial explorers continues.
Researchers from Imperial College London have found that Ryugu asteroid samples returned to space were rapidly colonized by terrestrial microorganisms, even under strict contamination control measures.
From Study“Rapid colonization of Ryugu samples returned to space by terrestrial microorganisms,” was published in the journal Meteoritics & Planetary Scienceresearchers analyzed sample A0180, a small particle (1 × 0.8 mm) collected by the JAXA Hayabusa 2 mission from the asteroid 162173 Ryugu.
Transported to Earth in a hermetically sealed chamber, the samples were exposed to nitrogen in a class 10,000 clean room to prevent contamination. Individual particles were removed with a sterilized instrument and stored under nitrogen in an airtight container. Before analysis, samples underwent Nano X-ray computed tomography and were embedded in blocks of epoxy resin for scanning electron microscopy.
Rods and filaments of organic material, interpreted as filamentous microorganisms, were observed on the sample surface. The variations in size and morphology of these structures resemble those of known terrestrial microbes. Observations showed that the abundance of these filaments changed over time, indicating growth and decline in the prokaryote population with a generation time of 5.2 days.
Population statistics indicate that the microorganisms originated from terrestrial contamination during the sample preparation stage, not from asteroids.
The results show that terrestrial biota rapidly colonize extraterrestrial materials, even under strict contamination control. The researchers recommend improving contamination control procedures for future sample return missions to prevent microbial colonization and ensure the integrity of extraterrestrial samples.
Another factor in collecting contamination-free samples is that everything used to collect extraterrestrial material comes from a planet teeming with microbial life.
NASA tried to avoid introducing Earth microbes to Mars by building probes and landers in clean space environments and realized that the task was nearly impossible. There are microbial species found in NASA cleanrooms that not only evade disinfection methods but also adapt to using cleaning agents as a food source.
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Microbial life on Earth is so abundant that no resource remains unexploited, and no place remains uninhabited. This is one of the reasons why all life on this planet is related through evolution, tracing back to a common origin, rather than starting from scratch many times.
Genomic evidence suggests this. The reason why there have been no new life forms that have come from Earth and evolved together with the microbes on Earth, could be because there is no room for new arrivals. In a system where every niche is filled with more advanced life looking for its next meal, even if a new life form begins, it will not last long.
The panspermia hypothesis in this study still has hope because this hypothesis has strengthened several main concepts. This suggests that extraterrestrial organic matter could provide a suitable source of metabolic energy for Earth-native organisms, suggesting that microbes do not have strict planetary preferences.
It also suggests that our best efforts to create clean room environments are not enough to prevent the introduction of life, something that may have brought extraterrestrial microbes to the moon and Mars.
Further information:
Matthew J. Genge et al, Rapid colonization of Ryugu samples returned to space by terrestrial microorganisms, Meteoritics & Planetary Science (2024). DOI: 10.1111/maps.14288
Quotation: Ryugu asteroid sample rapidly colonized by terrestrial life despite strict contamination controls (2024, November 22) taken November 27, 2024 from
This document is copyrighted. Apart from fair dealing for private study or research purposes, no part may be reproduced without written permission. Content is provided for informational purposes only.
Right, buckle up buttercups, because this article about space rocks and tiny, tenacious beasties is a real humdinger. Apparently, some clever clogs at Imperial College London scooped up a bit of an asteroid called Ryugu, flew it back to Earth, and then – bam – found it swarming with microscopic life.
Now, you might be thinking "Crikey, aliens!", but hold your horses, because these little fellas weren’t hitchhiking from another galaxy. Turns out, they were freeloading Earth microbes, hitching a ride on the asteroid sample like a bunch of cosmic stowaways.
See, scientists were taking some pretty drastic measures to avoid contamination, all clean rooms and nitrogen bubbles, but these microbial mates are like cockroaches – they’ll find a way.
The researchers were careful to point out that this finding doesn’t completely rule out the panspermia theory, the idea that life can bounce around the universe like cosmic ping pong balls. It just means that keeping things squeaky clean when dealing with extraterrestrial samples is harder than trying to make sense of a Lee Evans stand-up routine – properly challenging.
It also raises a rather unsettling question about Mars. NASA has been trying to keep Earth microbes off the Red Planet for years, but if these tiny blighters can sneak into a sealed sample, what chance do they have against a full-blown mission?
Maybe weWhisper, maybe we’re not alone in the universe. Maybe these little bacteria are the universal diplomats, boldly going where no one has gone before. Or maybe they’re just super good at finding free lunches. Either way, it’s a humbling reminder that even in the vast emptiness of space, life finds a way.
And frankly, I find that both terrifying and incredibly exciting. Like, imagine the possibilities! Alien microbes growing on Mars, swapping gossip with Earth bacteria, complaining about the lousy atmosphere.
“It’s like a sauna out here, Brenda, honestly!"
“Tell me about it, Doris. And the red dust? Nightmare for the complexion.”
Now that would be a reality show worth watching. Forget Love Island, give me "Intergalactic Microbe Swap" any day.
An electron microscope image of sample A0180 reveals a phyllosilicate-dominated matrix containing framboidal and spheroidal magnetite, dolomite, sulfide, and areas rich in organic matter.
The panspermia hypothesis posits that life can travel between planets, potentially seeding life on other worlds within our solar system. Discovering extraterrestrial life on asteroids or meteorites would have profound implications for understanding the origins and distribution of life in the universe.
Reports of microorganisms detected on chondritic meteorites have long fueled debate about whether extraterrestrial life reached Earth, potentially even giving rise to life here. While some studies concluded these signs of microbes were simply terrestrial contaminants, the argument that they are extraterrestrial explorers persists.
Researchers from Imperial College London have discovered that samples returned from the Ryugu asteroid were rapidly colonized by terrestrial microorganisms, even under stringent contamination control measures.
Published in the journal Meteoritics & Planetary Science, the study “Rapid colonization of Ryugu samples returned to space by terrestrial microorganisms” analyzed sample A0180, a tiny particle (1 × 0.8 mm) collected by the JAXA Hayabusa 2 mission from the asteroid 162173 Ryugu.
To prevent contamination, the samples were transported to Earth in a hermetically sealed chamber and exposed to nitrogen within a class 10,000 clean room. Individual particles were carefully removed with a sterilized instrument and stored under nitrogen in airtight containers. Before analysis, the samples underwent Nano X-ray computed tomography and were embedded in blocks of epoxy resin for scanning electron microscopy.
Observations on the sample surface revealed rods and filaments of organic material, interpreted as filamentous microorganisms. The variations in size and morphology of these structures resemble those of known terrestrial microbes. These filaments were observed to change in abundance over time, indicating growth and decline in the prokaryote population with a generation time of 5.2 days.
Population statistics indicate that these microorganisms originated from terrestrial contamination during the sample preparation stage, rather than originating from the asteroid itself.
These findings demonstrate that terrestrial biota can rapidly colonize extraterrestrial materials, even under strict contamination control protocols. The researchers recommend refining contamination control procedures for future sample return missions to prevent microbial colonization and ensure the integrity of extraterrestrial samples.
Collecting contamination-free samples presents a significant challenge, as all tools and equipment used to collect extraterrestrial material come from a planet teeming with microbial life.
NASA recognized this challenge when attempting to avoid introducing Earth microbes to Mars. They built probes and landers in clean space environments, but found the task nearly impossible. Remarkably, some microbial species found in NASA cleanrooms not only evade disinfection methods but also adapt to using cleaning agents as a food source.
Microbial life on Earth is so abundant that no resource is unexploited and no place remains uninhabited. This explains why all life on this planet is related through evolution, tracing back to a common origin rather than arising independently multiple times.
Genomic evidence supports this concept. The lack of new independently evolved life forms could be attributed to the fact that all niches are filled with more advanced life, eager to capitalize on any available resources. Any new life form emerging would likely not survive for long in this competitive environment.
Although this study presents a challenge to the panspermia hypothesis, it also offers some hope. It suggests that extraterrestrial organic matter could provide a suitable energy source for Earth-native organisms, indicating that microbes may not have strict planetary preferences.
The ease with which terrestrial microbes contaminated the Ryugu samples also suggests that our best efforts to create clean room environments may be insufficient to prevent the introduction of life, a possibility that may explain how extraterrestrial microbes reached the moon and Mars.
Further information:
Matthew J. Genge et al, Rapid colonization of Ryugu samples returned to space by terrestrial microorganisms, Meteoritics & Planetary Science (2024). DOI: 10.1111/maps.14288
Quotation: Ryugu asteroid sample rapidly colonized by terrestrial life despite strict contamination controls (2024, November 22) taken November 27, 2024 from
This document is copyrighted. Apart from fair dealing for private study or research purposes, no part may be reproduced without written permission. Content is provided for informational purposes only.
What measures can be implemented to improve contamination control protocols during the sample preparation process of extraterrestrial materials?
The provided text states that a Ryugu asteroid sample was rapidly colonized by terrestrial microorganisms despite strict contamination control protocols. Population statistics indicate the microorganisms originated from earthly contamination during the sample preparation process, not from the asteroid itself. The colonization highlights the resilience of terrestrial life and the challenges of obtaining contamination-free extraterrestrial samples. The study is published in the journal *Meteoritics & Planetary Science* [1].