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van Ginneken M, Wozniakiewicz PJ, Brownlee DE, Debaille V, Della Corte V, Delauche L, Duprat J, Engrand C, Folco L, Fries M, Gattacceca J, Genge MJ, Goderis S, Gounelle M, Harvey RP, Jonker G, Krämer Ruggiu L, Larsen J, Lever JH, Noguchi T, Peterson S, Rochette P, Rojas J, Rotundi A, Rudraswami NG, Suttle MD, Taylor S, Van Maldeghem F, Zolensky M. Micrometeorite collections: a review and their current status. PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. SERIES A, MATHEMATICAL, PHYSICAL, AND ENGINEERING SCIENCES 2024; 382:20230195. [PMID: 38736337 PMCID: PMC11225958 DOI: 10.1098/rsta.2023.0195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2023] [Revised: 01/08/2024] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/14/2024]
Abstract
Micrometeorites are estimated to represent the main part of the present flux of extraterrestrial matter found on the Earth's surface and provide valuable samples to probe the interplanetary medium. Here, we describe large and representative collections of micrometeorites currently available to the scientific community. These include Antarctic collections from surface ice and snow, as well as glacial sediments from the eroded top of nunataks-summits outcropping from the icesheet-and moraines. Collections extracted from deep-sea sediments (DSS) produced a large number of micrometeorites, in particular, iron-rich cosmic spherules that are rarer in other collections. Collections from the old and stable surface of the Atacama Desert show that finding large numbers of micrometeorites is not restricted to polar regions or DSS. The advent of rooftop collections marks an important step into involving citizen science in the study of micrometeorites, as well as providing potential sampling locations over all latitudes to explore the modern flux. We explore their strengths of the collections to address specific scientific questions and their potential weaknesses. The future of micrometeorite research will involve the finding of large fossil micrometeorite collections and benefit from recent advances in sampling cosmic dust directly from the air. This article is part of the theme issue 'Dust in the Solar System and beyond'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthias van Ginneken
- Centre for Astrophysics and Planetary Science, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Kent, CanterburyCT2 7NH, UK
| | - Penelope J. Wozniakiewicz
- Centre for Astrophysics and Planetary Science, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Kent, CanterburyCT2 7NH, UK
| | - Donald E. Brownlee
- Department of Astronomy, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195, USA
| | - Vinciane Debaille
- Laboratoire G-Time, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels1050, Belgium
| | | | - Lucie Delauche
- IJCLab, Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS/IN2P3, Orsay91405, France
| | - Jean Duprat
- IJCLab, Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS/IN2P3, Orsay91405, France
- IMPMC, CNRS-MNHN-Sorbonne Universités, UMR7590, 57 rue Cuvier, Paris75005, France
| | - Cecile Engrand
- IJCLab, Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS/IN2P3, Orsay91405, France
| | - Luigi Folco
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Università di Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Marc Fries
- NASA Johnson Space Center, Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science (ARES), Houston, TX77058, USA
| | - Jérôme Gattacceca
- CEREGE, CNRS, Aix-Marseille Univ, IRD, INRAE, Aix-en-Provence, France
| | - Matthew J. Genge
- Impacts and Astromaterials Research Centre, Department of Earth Science and Engineering, Imperial College London, , UK
| | - Steven Goderis
- Archaeology, Environmental Changes and Geo-Chemistry, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, BrusselsBE 1050, Belgium
| | | | - Ralph P. Harvey
- Department of Geological Sciences, 112 A. W. Smith Building, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH44106-7216, USA
| | - Guido Jonker
- Faculty of Science, Department of Earth Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Lisa Krämer Ruggiu
- Archaeology, Environmental Changes and Geo-Chemistry, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, BrusselsBE 1050, Belgium
| | | | - James H. Lever
- Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory, Hanover, NH, USA
| | - Takaaki Noguchi
- Division of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Kyoto University, Kyoto606-8502, Japan
| | | | - Pierre Rochette
- CEREGE, CNRS, Aix-Marseille Univ, IRD, INRAE, Aix-en-Provence, France
| | - Julien Rojas
- IJCLab, Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS/IN2P3, Orsay91405, France
- Earth and Planets Laboratory, Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington, DC20015, USA
| | - Alessandra Rotundi
- Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali—INAF, Roma, Italy
- Dipartimento di Scienze Applicate, Universita` degli Studi di Napoli ‘‘Parthenope’’, Napoli, Italy
| | | | - Martin D. Suttle
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Università di Pisa, Pisa, Italy
- School of Physical Sciences, The Open University, Milton KeynesMK7 6AA, UK
| | - Susan Taylor
- Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory, Hanover, NH, USA
| | - Flore Van Maldeghem
- Archaeology, Environmental Changes and Geo-Chemistry, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, BrusselsBE 1050, Belgium
| | - Michael Zolensky
- NASA Johnson Space Center, Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science (ARES), Houston, TX77058, USA
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Muñoz-Hisado V, Ruiz-Blas F, Sobrado JM, Garcia-Lopez E, Martinez-Alonso E, Alcázar A, Cid C. Bacterial molecular machinery in the Martian cryosphere conditions. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1176582. [PMID: 37840745 PMCID: PMC10569478 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1176582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 07/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The exploration of Mars is one of the main objectives of space missions since the red planet is considered to be, or was in the past, potentially habitable. Although the surface of Mars is now dry and arid, abundant research suggests that water covered Mars billions of years ago. Recently, the existence of liquid water in subglacial lakes has been postulated below the South pole of Mars. Until now, experiments have been carried out on the survival of microorganisms in Martian surface conditions, but it remains unknown how their adaptation mechanisms would be in the Martian cryosphere. In this work, two bacterial species (Bacillus subtilis and Curtobacterium flacumfaciens) were subjected to a simulated Martian environment during 24 h using a planetary chamber. Afterward, the molecular machinery of both species was studied to investigate how they had been modified. Proteomes, the entire set of proteins expressed by each bacterium under Earth (named standard) conditions and Martian conditions, were compared using proteomic techniques. To establish this evaluation, both the expression levels of each protein, and the variation in their distribution within the different functional categories were considered. The results showed that these bacterial species followed a different strategy. The Bacillus subtilis resistance approach consisted of improving its stress response, membrane bioenergetics, degradation of biomolecules; and to a lesser extent, increasing its mobility and the formation of biofilms or resistance endospores. On the contrary, enduring strategy of Curtobacterium flacumfaciens comprised of strengthening the cell envelope, trying to protect cells from the extracellular environment. These results are especially important due to their implications for planetary protection, missions to Mars and sample return since contamination by microorganisms would invalidate the results of these investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Fátima Ruiz-Blas
- GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, Section Geomicrobiology, Telegrafenberg, Potsdam, Germany
| | | | | | - Emma Martinez-Alonso
- Hospital Ramón y Cajal, Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria, Madrid, Spain
| | - Alberto Alcázar
- Hospital Ramón y Cajal, Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria, Madrid, Spain
| | - Cristina Cid
- Centro de Astrobiologia (CAB), CSIC-INTA, Madrid, Spain
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Wang B, Ye T, Li X, Bian P, Liu Y, Wang G. Survival of desert algae Chlorella exposed to Mars-like near space environment. LIFE SCIENCES IN SPACE RESEARCH 2021; 29:22-29. [PMID: 33888284 DOI: 10.1016/j.lssr.2021.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2020] [Revised: 02/05/2021] [Accepted: 02/12/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Desert was considered terrestrial analogues of Mars. In this study, dried cells of desert green algae Chlorella were exposed to Mars-like near-space environment using high-altitude scientific balloons. We found that while a majority of Chlorella cells survived, they exhibited considerable damage, such as low photosynthetic activity, reduced cell growth, increased cell mortality rate, and altered chloroplast and mitochondrial ultrastructure. Additionally, transcriptome analysis of near space-exposed Chlorella cells revealed 3292 differentially expressed genes compared to cells in the control ground group, including heat shock proteins, antioxidant enzymes, DNA repair systems, as well as proteins related to the PSII apparatus and ribosomes. These data shed light on the possible survival strategy of desert algae to near space environments. Our results indicated that Mars-like near space conditions represent an extreme environment for desert algae in terms of temperature, pressure, and radiations. The survival strategy of Chlorella in response to near space will help gain insights into the possibility of extremophile colonization on the surface of Mars and in similar extraterrestrial habitats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Wang
- Key Laboratory of Algal Biology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Tong Ye
- Key Laboratory of Algal Biology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Xiaoyan Li
- Key Laboratory of Algal Biology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Po Bian
- Key Laboratory of Ion Beam Bio-engineering, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Anhui Province, Hefei, Anhui 230031, China
| | - Yongding Liu
- Key Laboratory of Algal Biology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Gaohong Wang
- Key Laboratory of Algal Biology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
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Du J, Zhang Y, Qv M, Yin Y, Zhang W, Zhang J, Zhang H. Different phototoxicities of ZnO nanoparticle on stream functioning. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 725:138340. [PMID: 32298904 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.138340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2020] [Revised: 03/18/2020] [Accepted: 03/29/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
To explore the chronic phototoxicity of ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) on stream ecosystems, a microcosm experiment was conducted on Populus nigra L. leaf decomposition with ZnO NPs under different light components (visible and ultraviolet (UV) light) with a natural photoperiod. Light components significantly affected the transformation dynamic of ZnO NPs. After chronic exposure (day 15 to 30), ZnO NPs under light irradiation caused significant decrease in the microbial biomass, but significant increase in the fungal biomass. Compared to visible light, UV light led to lower microbial biomass and metabolic activity but higher antioxidant activity when ZnO NP concentrations were 10 and 20 mg L-1, eventually causing significant reductions in decomposition rates. Pleosporales sp., Montagnulaceae sp., and Volutella citronella responded sensitively to ZnO NPs. However, higher decomposition efficiency of leaf nitrogen was achieved under UV light when ZnO NPs concentrations were 10 mg L-1, suggesting that microbial nitrogen-related enzymes and ZnO nanoparticle photocatalytic properties contribute to leaf degradation. In conclusion, the results of this study provide compelling evidence that light components strongly affect ZnO NPs transformation, which impacts microbial communities with consequences for ecological processes in stream ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingjing Du
- School of Materials and Chemical Engineering, Zhengzhou University of Light Industry, Zhengzhou, China; Henan Collaborative Innovation Center of Environmental Pollution Control and Ecological Restoration, Zhengzhou University of Light Industry, Zhengzhou, China.
| | - Yuyan Zhang
- School of Materials and Chemical Engineering, Zhengzhou University of Light Industry, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Mingxiang Qv
- School of Materials and Chemical Engineering, Zhengzhou University of Light Industry, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Yuting Yin
- School of Materials and Chemical Engineering, Zhengzhou University of Light Industry, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Wenfang Zhang
- School of Materials and Chemical Engineering, Zhengzhou University of Light Industry, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Jin Zhang
- School of Materials and Chemical Engineering, Zhengzhou University of Light Industry, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Hongzhong Zhang
- School of Materials and Chemical Engineering, Zhengzhou University of Light Industry, Zhengzhou, China; Henan Collaborative Innovation Center of Environmental Pollution Control and Ecological Restoration, Zhengzhou University of Light Industry, Zhengzhou, China
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Dias LP, Araújo CA, Pupin B, Ferreira PC, Braga GÚ, Rangel DE. The Xenon Test Chamber Q-SUN® for testing realistic tolerances of fungi exposed to simulated full spectrum solar radiation. Fungal Biol 2018; 122:592-601. [DOI: 10.1016/j.funbio.2018.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2017] [Revised: 01/14/2018] [Accepted: 01/19/2018] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Araújo CA, Dias LP, Ferreira PC, Mittmann J, Pupin B, Brancini G, Braga GÚ, Rangel DE. Responses of entomopathogenic fungi to the mutagen 4-nitroquinoline 1-oxide. Fungal Biol 2018; 122:621-628. [DOI: 10.1016/j.funbio.2018.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2018] [Revised: 03/09/2018] [Accepted: 03/15/2018] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
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Rangel DE, Finlay RD, Hallsworth JE, Dadachova E, Gadd GM. Fungal strategies for dealing with environment- and agriculture-induced stresses. Fungal Biol 2018; 122:602-612. [DOI: 10.1016/j.funbio.2018.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2017] [Revised: 02/05/2018] [Accepted: 02/09/2018] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
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DasSarma P, DasSarma S. Survival of microbes in Earth's stratosphere. Curr Opin Microbiol 2017; 43:24-30. [PMID: 29156444 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2017.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2017] [Revised: 11/01/2017] [Accepted: 11/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The remarkable survival of microorganisms high above the surface of the Earth is of increasing interest. At stratospheric levels, multiple stressors including ultraviolet and ionizing radiation, low temperatures, hypobaric conditions, extreme desiccation, and nutrient scarcity are all significant challenges. Our understanding of which microorganisms are capable of tolerating such stressful conditions has been addressed by stratospheric sample collection and survival assays, through launching and recovery, and exposure to simulated conditions in the laboratory. Here, we review stratospheric microbiology studies providing our current perspective on microbial life at extremely high altitudes and discuss implications for health and agriculture, climate change, planetary protection, and astrobiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priya DasSarma
- University of Maryland School of Medicine and Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology, 701 East Pratt Street, Baltimore, MD 21202, USA
| | - Shiladitya DasSarma
- University of Maryland School of Medicine and Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology, 701 East Pratt Street, Baltimore, MD 21202, USA.
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Smith DJ, Sowa MB. Ballooning for Biologists: Mission Essentials for Flying Life Science Experiments to Near Space on NASA Large Scientific Balloons. GRAVITATIONAL AND SPACE RESEARCH : PUBLICATION OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR GRAVITATIONAL AND SPACE RESEARCH 2017; 5:52-73. [PMID: 31360738 PMCID: PMC6662212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Despite centuries of scientific balloon flights, only a handful of experiments have produced biologically-relevant results. Yet unlike orbital spaceflight, it is much faster and cheaper to conduct biology research with balloons, sending specimens to the near space environment of Earth's stratosphere. Samples can be loaded the morning of a launch and sometimes returned to the laboratory within one day after flying. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) flies large, unmanned scientific balloons from all over the globe, with missions ranging from hours to weeks in duration. A payload in the middle portion of the stratosphere (~35 km above sea level) will be exposed to an environment similar to the surface of Mars: temperatures generally around -36 °C, atmospheric pressure at a thin 1 kPa, relative humidity levels < 1%, and a harsh illumination of ultraviolet (UV) and cosmic radiation levels (about 100 W/m2 and 0.1 mGy/d, respectively) that can be obtained nowhere else on the surface of the Earth, including environmental chambers and particle accelerator facilities attempting to simulate space radiation effects. Considering the operational advantages of ballooning and the fidelity of space-like stressors in the stratosphere, researchers in aerobiology, astrobiology, and space biology can benefit from balloon flight experiments as an intermediary step on the extraterrestrial continuum (ground, low Earth orbit, and deep space studies). Our review targets biologists with no background or experience in scientific ballooning. We will provide an overview of large balloon operations, biology topics that can be uniquely addressed in the stratosphere, and a roadmap for developing payloads to fly with NASA.
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Affiliation(s)
- David J. Smith
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Space Biosciences Division, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California 94035
| | - Marianne B. Sowa
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Space Biosciences Division, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California 94035
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