As part of the Proposal writing for the NASA Viking Mars Lander Life Detection program in 1968, we at OSU COAS had been studying Cryophylic Algae and their resting spores. The spores form when the algae encounter conditions outside their tollerance(>1C,<-0.1C, no liquid water)and are quite able to withstand interplanetary conditions for as long as we were able to test them>30 days...(our 1000w UV source was borrowed and he wanted it back!).
On exposure to the proper nutrient mix they never refused to bloom no matter what we did.
So even though active photosynthesis is absent, the resting spores can (and we found did) survive for up to 125 years
Based in algae smears cultured from historical Antarctic ship captains log books that old.... life does not have to be active, potential must be considered as well.
As part of the Proposal writing for the NASA Viking Mars Lander Life Detection program in 1968, we at OSU COAS had been studying Cryophylic Algae and their resting spores. The spores form when the algae encounter conditions outside their tollerance(>1C,<-0.1C, no liquid water)and are quite able to withstand interplanetary conditions for as long as we were able to test them>30 days...(our 1000w UV source was borrowed and he wanted it back!).
On exposure to the proper nutrient mix they never refused to bloom no matter what we did.
So even though active photosynthesis is absent, the resting spores can (and we found did) survive for up to 125 years
Based in algae smears cultured from historical Antarctic ship captains log books that old.... life does not have to be active, potential must be considered as well.
Peter Becker Ph.D.
Polar Oceanographer