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SO ENDS this second week on the extraordinary Russian ISS finding of intact microorganisms outside the space station. Whether by Earth updraft, which they suggest is unlikely, or by origin in space, the result is the finding of life in outer space, and opens the door to the question of duration and boundaries for such creatures. As it is probable that multicellular life began from these kinds of microorganisms, their presence in space is a game changer of enormous proportions. View in LinkedIn

INTACT LICHEN PHOTOSYNTHESIS. “In addition, when photosynthesis was specifically studied, activity was demonstrated post-exposure with high viability of algal cells and low rates of impairment. However, a strong impairment of both photosynthesis and photoprotective mechanisms was observed when isolated alga were irradiated emphasizing the importance of the protection afforded within the lichen symbiosis resulting from morphological adaptation, the presence of lichen compounds, and the ability of lichens to survive desiccation.” https://lnkd.in/dnvYcSS View in LinkedIn

LONG TERM LICHEN SURVIVAL. “Lichens in space are exposed to the combined effects of insolation, UV irradiation, cosmic radiation, extremely low temperatures, and a vacuum. Hence, after long-term exposure of 559 days to these conditions, Xanthoria elegans (Link) Th. Fr. showed considerable resistance with post-exposure activity 50–80% that of previous values in the alga and 60–90% in the fungus. Growth and proliferation of isolated algal cells were also demonstrated after exposure.” https://lnkd.in/dnvYcSS View in LinkedIn

THE QUESTION. “The presence of DNA of wild land and marine bacterial genera on the ISS indicates their possible transfer from the stratosphere into the ionosphere with the ascending branch of the global electric circuit, alternatively to their entry into the Earth’s environs from space.” https://lnkd.in/dNHWs6R View in LinkedIn

BEASTIES DETECTED. “We detected the DNA of bacteria of the genus Mycobacteria and extreme bacteria of the genus Delftia (family Comamonadaceae, order Burkholderiales) in the samples of cosmic dust. It was shown that the DNA sequence of one of the bacteria of the genus Mycobacteria was genetically similar to that previously observed in the sea surface microlayer at the Barents and Kara seas’ coastal zones.” https://lnkd.in/dNHWs6R View in LinkedIn

THE NUT OF THE PROBLEM. “However the transport of such material above 30 km is not well documented. If there can be a migration or diffusion of bacterial particles above 30 km, this supports a hypothesis in which living matter is not required to be brought in with meteoritic or cometary material to the Earth but, on the contrary, is dissipated from the Earth biosphere into interplanetary space. The data also supports the possibility of microorganisms coming to the Earth from outside the Earth.” https://lnkd.in/dNHWs6R View in LinkedIn

ALICE IN WONDERLAND’S QUEEN: “it’s a poor sort of memory that only works backwards.” https://lnkd.in/dbPTFVm View in LinkedIn