Could bacteria survive on Mars? While images of the red planet might spark thoughts of barren landscapes and lifeless deserts, Mars holds a fascinating possibility: under suitable conditions, pockets of salty, perchlorate-rich brines could temporarily form on or near its surface. These brines are formed by salts that naturally absorb water from their surroundings. By lowering the temperature at which water freezes, these salts can stabilize liquid water, raising intriguing questions about the potential for microbial life. But what exactly would it take for bacteria to survive there? New research from Kloss et al. published in Scientific Reports sheds light on this cosmic question.
The researchers turned to Escherichia coli, a familiar and hardy bacterium, specifically chosen because it’s not naturally adapted to salty conditions, to understand how life might cope with Martian conditions. They gradually exposed E. coli cultures to increasing concentrations of sodium perchlorate, alongside parallel experiments with sodium chloride and glycerol. This allowed them to distinguish general osmotic stress responses from perchlorate-specific stress.
Using advanced proteomics—essentially decoding the bacterial cell’s protein “blueprint”—the team uncovered unique survival strategies activated by E. coli under perchlorate stress. Notably, perchlorate imposes multifaceted stress, including dehydration, destabilization of proteins and nucleic acids (chaotropic stress), and possibly oxidative damage. The bacterium adapted by significantly enhancing DNA repair mechanisms, increasing RNA methylation, and shifting internal metabolic processes to manage energy and resources more efficiently.
Interestingly, rather than relying on typical adaptations associated with ionic or osmotic stress, perchlorate-exposed bacteria prioritized protecting and repairing their genetic material. The study also revealed that adaptation involves not only activating new processes but selectively down-regulating processes such as branched-chain amino acid biosynthesis (valine, leucine, isoleucine) and cytochrome c-type biogenesis, highlighting the complexity of resource reallocation under stress.
Could microbial life or engineered strains someday help support Martian exploration? The answer may lie hidden within their remarkable adaptability to life’s toughest molecular challenges.
Reference:
Kloss, L.D.F., Doellinger, J., Gries, A. et al. Proteomic insights into survival strategies of Escherichia coli in perchlorate-rich Martian brines. Sci Rep 15, 6988 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-91562-3
Sara Millevolte
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