According to a story in the Guardian, a group of scientists have found a plant that could be able to endure and flourish in the hostile environment of Mars. Desert moss, prevalent in the Mojave desert and Antarctica, may play a key role in the establishment of life on the red planet.
The plant, Syntrichia caninervis, is able to withstand severe cold, high radiation, and drought. The group asserts that their study is the first to look at the viability of growing complete plants in such an environment, with an emphasis on the potential for plant cultivation on the planet’s surface as opposed to in greenhouses.

According to them, “The unique insights obtained in our study lay the foundation for outer space colonisation using naturally selected plants adapted to extreme stress conditions.”

“Our research demonstrates that S. caninervis has a higher level of environmental resistance than certain tardigrades and extremely stress-tolerant bacteria. The scientists went on, “S. caninervis is a promising candidate pioneer plant for colonizing extraterrestrial environments, laying the groundwork for creating human habitats that are biologically sustainable beyond Earth.”

A new publication based on the study has been published in the journal “The Innovation.” The scientists have shown how desert moss recovers rapidly from almost complete dehydration in addition to surviving it. Furthermore, despite being exposed to gamma rays for as long as five years at -80 Celsius and as long as thirty days at -196 Celsius, it was able to regenerate under normal growth circumstances. Doses of around 500 Gy even induced new growth following gamma-ray exposure.

The group then constructed a system that had UV light, temperatures, gases, and pressures similar to those on Mars. It was shown that the moss could survive and even develop under normal growth parameters in this habitat akin to Mars even after being exposed for seven days. The crew also noticed that plants that had previously been dried did better after receiving this treatment.

“S. caninervis is a viable colonist option that might support terraforming efforts on Mars or other worlds. This is due to S. caninervis’s exceptional ability to withstand a variety of stresses, as well as the possibility that it will act as a pioneer species and provide the foundation for the creation and upkeep of the ecosystem by assisting in the production of oxygen, the sequestration of carbon dioxide, and the fertility of the soil, according to the researchers.

According to them, “Thus, S. caninervis can help drive the atmospheric, geological, and ecological processes required for other higher plants and animals while facilitating the creation of new habitable environments conducive to long-term human settlement.”

The Chinese researchers came to the following conclusion: “We showed the great potential of S. caninervis as a pioneer plant for growth on Mars, but there is still a long way to go to create self-sufficient habitats on other planets.” We anticipate using this promising moss to test the viability of plant colonization and growth in space by sending it to Mars or the Moon in the future.”