A team of researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences have reported on their testing of the moss Syntrichia caninervis found in various desert regions around the world that could potentially be the key to establishing a colony on Mars in the future. This particular moss was originally found in sandy deserts but has shown resilience to cold weather conditions.
The research team tested the resilience of S. caninervis from enduring severe dry conditions to losing water, exposure to freezing temperatures, immersion in liquid nitrogen at -196 degrees Celsius, irradiation levels of 4,000 Gy (with cancer treatment typically ranging from 1-2 Gy per session and around 60-70 Gy per course), and when simulated in environments near the Martian equator, this moss still thrived.
Such resilience opens up the possibility for humans to sprinkle S. caninervis on Mars beforehand to generate oxygen, reduce carbon, enhance soil fertility, and pave the way for planting other vegetation in the future.
Source: Science Direct
TLDR: Chinese researchers have tested the robustness of Syntrichia caninervis moss in extreme conditions, suggesting its potential use in establishing colonies on Mars for oxygen generation and agriculture.
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