Samples taken from the space-returned piece of asteroid Ryugu were collected and prepared under strict anti-contamination controls. Inside the cleanest of clean rooms, a tiny particle was collected from the returned sample with sterilized tools in a nitrogen atmosphere and stored in airtight containers before being embedded in an epoxy block for scanning electron microscopy.
It’s hard to imagine what more one could do, but despite all the precautions taken, the samples were rapidly colonized by terrestrial microorganisms. Only the upper few microns of the sample surface, but it happened. That’s what the images above show.
Obtaining a sample from asteroid Ryugu was a triumph. Could this organic matter have come from the asteroid itself? In a word, no. Researchers have concluded the microorganisms are almost certainly terrestrial bacteria that contaminated the sample during collection, despite the precautions taken.
You can read the study to get all the details, but it seems that microorganisms — our world’s greatest colonizers — can circumvent contamination controls. No surprise, in a way. Every corner of our world is absolutely awash in microbial life. Opening samples on Earth comes with challenges.
As for off-Earth, robots may be doing the exploration but despite NASA assembling landers in clean room environments we may have already inadvertently exported terrestrial microbes to the Moon, and Mars. The search for life to which we are not related is one of science and humanity’s greatest quests, but it seems life found on a space-returned samples will end up looking awfully familiar until we step up our game.
Reminds me of early research on cancer. A lot of cancer research had to be dumped because a particular strain of cancer cells (HeLa) would act like a weed in the lab, contaminating other samples, crowding out the original cells.
The Immortal Henrietta Lack, she posthumously contributed so much to cancer research, didn’t realise her cells had been such a problem though
There is an argument to be made that Henrietta Lacks’ cells are no longer human. Able to live and reproduce independent from her.
They have a number of mutations which lead to this, not least the telomerase that prevents limits on cell division. But also the huge complex restrictions put on cells activity required for multicellular organisms to live have obviously become disabled in the HeLa line.
The parallels between cancers developing and evolution are terrifying but significant when it comes to treatments. Cancers (new generations of their cells) become resistant to chemotherapy in particular, not unlike bacterial cells can become resistant to antibiotics.
In a sense, we (eukaryotes) are what happens when bacteria form giant, highly successful communist states, and the surprise is that rebellions (cancer) are as rare as they are.
:-D
I would argue that bacteria aren’t eucariotes, while a single cell like ours is. Community building starts in cells, eucariote cells are much larger and complex than procariotes and have several genetic data mediums
The rebellions (mutated cells) are incredibly common, the police (immune system) are just really good at catching them and putting them to rest before it’s a problem. Cancer is basically the immune system failing to identify a rebellion as such.
I think cancer can be better viewed as the application of Ayn Rand’s “rational egoism” philosophy to chephalizsed multi-cellular organisms. The cells in such organisms usually have their activity regulated by a somewhat centralized system. Cancer is what happens when cells stop responding to regulation and begin acting as independent agents. They consume and reproduce without regard for the wellbeing of the system at large. It’s almost always unsustainable, as commons dilemma actually exist and lead to the ruin of both the host and the cancer (usually).
I think the communism analogy is a bit messy because communism and authoritarianism get conflated a lot. I think it’s worth pointing out that communism is stateless in its ideal implementation, though there are many variations on how to transition to said ideal.
I’m a not an expert on either biology or poly sci, but from what I understand, most biological systems display varying degrees and implementations of hierarchy AKA “cephalization”. Prokaryotes are as individualist as it gets (though they still often exhibit limited forms of communal coordination). Eukaryotes have a nucleus that centralizes most of the executive function of the cell (though organelles like mitochondria can operate somewhat independently). Multi-cellular organisms can have little cephalization, like sponge or slime molds. But they can also have high degrees of cephalization where the activity of individual cells and their access and allotment of resources is highly regulated by a centralized system.
This naturally extends into social structures between multiple organisms like ants or lions or humans. Multi-special relationships also exist on all tiers of this pattern from eukaryotes to human civilization, but that’s beyond the scope.
Why is it surprising that an organism wouldn’t want to kill itself? Preservation of life is q fundamental requirement. It’s in no way surprising that successful creatures aren’t walking around offing themselves on a cellular level.
So real life Deadpool and Wolverine
Helium is a main compound
Period
Periodic
Please
Pray
platonic
Platinum
Plutonium
And no, Pluto is not a planet yet
Insightful.
Interesting facts.
Not a planet, yet, but what if it returns as Pluto?
A dog in space?
Maybe it will colonize very distant galaxies way before we arrive here. What if all these germs like these people claim are indeed responsible fpr creating cancer.
Walking into my nose and mouth when I sleep. Maybe they like protein shakes too. A faithful dog… Faithful, it would love any kind of diversion, as long as it could run free.
A bowl of fruit to the god Pluto?
All gathering in our dishes. Washing in the washes.
I’m scared of Pluto.
Runs to buy fruit, because I’m fruity.
Colorful.
Interesting flavors.
Not a planet, yet, but what if it bursts like a fruit?
A tree in space?
Maybe it will sprout on distant worlds way before we arrive. What if all these seeds hold galaxies within them?
Falling into my mouth while I sleep. Maybe they dream of space too. A loyal fruit… Loyal, it would orbit any idea, as long as it could grow wild.
A bowl of fruit for Pluto?
All gathering in cosmic dishes. Ripening in the light.
I’m drawn to fruit.
Runs to buy more, because I’m fruity… like Pluto.
Could you share a recipe for a periodic table inspired cocktail?
It was a planet and it will always be a planet to me. Plus they call Objects smaller than that planets
Pluto never stopped being a planet…
Do you have a reference for this? Thank you.
“the immortal life of Henrietta lacks” isn’t the primary source, but that’s where I read the same thing and I’m pretty sure the author cited the source. It’s an amazing book, and a great read, I strongly recommend it.
I’m glad her family finally received some recompense.
Because 23 and me patented every DNA sample sent into them with the intention of profiting from any potential DNA sequences they uncovered, is the reason I never wanted to use their product. Now, that 23 and Me is struggling in bankruptcy,
I feel a bit of schadenfreude.
or Scherezod!
We are seeding life through out the universe by sending out all of these rovers and sample takers. I wonder what they might evolve into off earth!? 🤔
Fantastic, I always believed that we were, “are not alone” it won’t be long before ET is here to say Hello, keep looking believe we have relatives in magnificent beyond,
Can’t wait,
I just hope I’m around to see it???🫶🤞👋☘️🍀🌿🫡💥🌎
“can circumvent contamination controls”
Can circumvent apparently inadequate controls.
And about massive and FOR CERTAIN contamination of other bodies in the solar system, like Mars, just wait until humans or a few, huge, unmanned Starships land there.
Colonizing Mars means contaminating Mars – and never knowing for sure if it had its own native life – November 6, 2018
Excerpt:
Given that the exploration of Mars has so far been limited to [sterilized] unmanned vehicles, the planet likely remains free from terrestrial contamination.
But when Earth sends astronauts to Mars, they’ll travel with life support and energy supply systems, habitats, 3D printers, food and tools. None of these materials can be sterilized in the same ways systems associated with robotic spacecraft can. Human colonists will produce waste, try to grow food and use machines to extract water from the ground and atmosphere. Simply by living on Mars, human colonists will contaminate Mars.
Astrobiology Vol. 17, No. 10
Searching for Life on Mars Before It Is Too Late
1 Oct 2017
Abstract excerpt:
Planetary Protection policies as we conceive them today will no longer be valid as human arrival will inevitably increase the introduction of terrestrial and organic contaminants and that could jeopardize the identification of indigenous Martian life.
“Can circumvent apparently inadequate controls.”
Or by someone who screwed up and doesn’t want to admit it or someone who screwed up and didn’t know they did. All kinds of optimum growth mediums for life and similar mass produced items need to be and are successfully protected from contamination and kept sterile. The fact that this wasn’t is incredible.
Let’s not forget the real possibility of microbes blown off Earth’s upper atmosphere by the Solar Wind, and later landing on any surface beyond Earth’s orbit.
Or blasted off into space by impacts. Remember those Martian rocks found in Antarctica? I’m sure the rock highway goes two ways so if Mars can host any life then it’s probably there already and has been long before men even stared at the stars.
Considerably more atmosphere to get thru to escape Earth.
You think so? Most microbes cannot withstand the vacuum of space…unless UR an adorable tardigrade….
There are extremophilic bacteria like Deinococcus Radiodurans that can survive in space. I think Tardigrades are notable for being complex multi-cellular organisms that can survive extreme conditions.
In all these years, I didn’t realize that tardigrades were multicellular!
Doh!
We might well already be there though – if this mission that did take significant effort to avoid contamination got contaminated anyway it becomes very very likely Mars was contaminated by the first mission to put human made junk on the surface – so sometime in the 60’s potentially, and then 20 odd times since.
Which leaves the question being are any of these contaminations actually viable to really spread on their own on Mars – if they remain relatively confined and not actively reproducing you can if you can do the lab work fast enough identify the centres of contamination and the radius all the various processes shifting things around have carried them. And thus have a good guess if any evidence of life is found outside of those radius it was native, even if it seems very much like one of those Earth based contaminations – which is quite possibly going to be the case.
But really its too late to prevent it, and given the life support requirements any human presence on Mars in the near future anyway is going to be a rather self contained bottle – you don’t need to sterilise the contents of the bottle only the exterior – the waste, food, people etc are going to be inside the bottle, and probably never getting to leave the bottle, just operate the robots without the huge timelag.
And since we cannot prove a negative such as “there are exactly zero microbes on or within an entire celestial body” then this phantom-indigenous will basically prevent us from any manned exploration forever. How academic of them!
You know their blood pressure rises quite a bit when they hear the word “colony” being spoken with a new (old) connotation outside of their control as well
I’d rather say “Can circumvent contamination controls containing concealed complications.”
*<:o)
“Colonizing Mars means contaminating Mars – and never knowing for sure if it had its own native life.” Poetic. I’m stealing this.
a single human contains more bacteria cells than there are human cells which make up that body. Those bacteria are multiple different strains. No amount of hand washing or sterilization will ever be able to remove the internal biome inside our gut, mouth, nose, upper respiratory. It’s not about life support and energy supply systems; we are a walking, talking, garden in full bloom, at all times. It is simply impossible for ‘us’ as a single species to colonize anything solo.
Research Operation Sundown. 3 manned missions to mars already happened in released documents. There’s no telling how many more have successfully completed.
Don’t you mean Operation Redsun?🤔
By the time we get there those organisms will be 30 ft long and absorb us
‘Life, uh, finds a way’ – Dr. Ian Malcolm, 1993.
This. Hubris makes us believe we have total command over nature. Seems to be quite the opposite. We may in fact be puppets to organisms looking to spread beyond this planet.
We have no idea what the aliens really are. The collective micro size on count trillions upon trillions to the trillionth power are probably an intelligence far beyond anything we know. And are keeping tabs on us for some other beings who know what they’re doing Beyond us.
Lately, I’m becoming more and more convinced that the major lifeform on this planet is in fact bacteria and viruses, and all other life forms have evolved, maybe even with some help from said microorganisms, as food. What if our evolving was just bacteria’s way of domesticating their food source.
I came here to say this, but you beat me to it!
Without looking at how they actually “sterilize” things, when you blast something in, say, an autoclave, or just even boil something on your stove at home, you are certainly sterilizing it in the sense that it is killing the microorganisms- but their corpses so to speak aren’t actually being removed or going anywhere. So unless they are washing every single component of a spacecraft in like high strength acid or something, there will still be bacteria and certainly viruses stuck to everything. Not viable (hopefully, and another can of worms about if viruses are “alive” at all) but they will still be sitting there.
Even boiling won’t kill everything. The work in the cited paper suggests that there was active growth of the microbes on the samples, so it isn’t just cell debris being observed.
I suspect we will eventually discover that microbial life was present in the proto-planetary disc prior to life becoming established on Earth.
All life needs is moist, warm rocks which would have existed in vast quantities in the age of uncountable planetesimals with shallow gravity wells busily cross contaminating each other in the proto-planetary disk during the formation of our solar system.
If this is the case we should find microbes related to us in the crust of Mars and most of the ocean/liquid-hydrosphere harboring ice moons.
If true it also begs a grander question. Was our solar system inoculated with microbes from it’s birth nebula? Are distant cousins of ours enjoying the warmth and light of Sol’s sisters on the other side of the milky way?
I really hope progress is made, however modest, on illuminating this mystery during my life span.
“Colonizing Mars means contaminating Mars – and never knowing for sure if it had its own native life – November 6, 2018”
I don’t buy that one bit.
If life WAS present on Mars then it will be indelibly documented in the geological/geochemical record.
If life IS present on Mars and it’s subterranean* then it’s encased in kilometers of rock and thus very well protected from surface contamination.
If life IS present on Mars AND it exists on or near the surface then it’s a hyper-adapted extremophile able to thrive in conditions that would sterilise contamination from Earth.
The kicker is: If life IS present on Mars AND it’s vulnerable to contamination then the cat is already out of the bag. Human exploration has already contaminated the entire planet with wind blown fibres that originated from lander parachute systems. That’s right, Mars has a microplastic problem too! We should put biologist boots on the ground ASAP in case this scenario is playing out as we speak.
I can show that life was already well advanced before Earth formed 4.5 billion years go.
You can show that how?
Please, please, please show this!
Perhaps we should be including cultivated microbes and other flora in missions to Mars. It would give us a leg-up on future terraforming if those necessary elements are already flourishing in that environment.
We can’t even look after the planet we have
Yeah, but that’s why we need a new one.
According to very constrained, anthropocentric views. The planet is fine.
But I guess when it comes to transferring life to a lifeless, irradiated ancient rock far away from our other activities… then we’ve gone too far eh
If we spent half the time thinking about our planet and have nature back to the planet (stopped building , cutting down and adding to the destruction ) It would stop getting worse and just might come back from imminent extinction .
Just saying!
This is probably the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever read on HAD… nuf said…
I agree, it’s alot of talk and no action. This is why we cannot have nice things. CCP grey on YouTube have a video about this, “Rules for rulers”. Basically there is a natural mechanism that will always favor maximum greed for those in power
See! No need worrying about the ‘grey goo scenario’.
We ARE the ‘grey goo scenario’. We always have been.
In Saturn’s Children they called it “pink goo” for animal-based life and “green goo” for plant-based life. I’m not sure if those are common extensions of the grey goo scenario.
The purpose of the green goo was to give birth to the pink goo, and the purpose of the pink goo was to give birth to the grey goo. Only the goo gods know what the grey goo will dream up after we are gone.
The Grey goo do the Voodoo that they do so well.
The fossils you need to be looking for are not microbes. Everyone is missing the point here. With microbes, you may, and will, have an extremely high chance for contamination. If you concentrate on the forms that can be seen without the aid of a Microscope, you’ll be a lot further ahead. organidms 2 or 3 centimeters in lengh are less likely to be contaminants. The same is true for the fossil content in the rocks on the Moon, Mars. And Venus.
There is an abundance of good fossils on the Moon, Mars, and Saturn, but they aren’t as abundant in the sampke from the Asteroids that NASA recently collected.
I’m pretty sure you are incorrect .
Dirty, dirty Earth!
This is Karl Schwab again. Has anyone leaving comments actually looked at the material from Ryugu? I have and I can show photographs of some very nice fossils. And if you look closely at the surface of the asteroid, they are there in great numbers.
You’re likely experiencing pareidolia. Congratulations on having a normal human brain. :-)
Link?
Panspermia is not a scientific concept formed after scientific result. I’ts just a 19th romantic idea , no more
It is sad that there was contaminents but faults does happen how ever what if one of them is not from our neck of the Woods. And please know that unless the satiriker was made in the vaccum of space this will happen after all we launching from earth.
The transplanetarial migration of microbial communities aboard geological vessels ejected into the solar system at various speeds, volumes, and trajectories is an easily identifiable scienctifically provable hypothesis based upon not only basic logical methods, but also under the scope of the scientifically recorded data present in the vast amount of human discovered material in this world that we have not yet destroyed completely. The term “human junk” is a tad bit harsh for the successful landing on a planet using nothing more than math and physics to land on another fcuking planet. Seems more like being alive in the most beautiful time of the entire history of this heliocentric anomalous gathering of matter.
My guess is airborne contamination. If the sample container was sterilized before opening it and it has bacteria on the samples surface then I would have to say that it landed on the sample from the air or transmission from gloves to sample might be possible to. Identifying the type of contaminate will potentially help in determining whether it was air or physical contact but either way that really sucks to compromise a sample like that.
This is a very wonderful site I might not know all of it but I could understand part of it. Well between contaminants, microorganisms, somebody making a fool of themselves
When they finally learn that they’re the ones that messed it all up. After recognizing this their heart jumps, skips a beat and they will be slingshot to Pluto.
I conclude one thing from this…they say that they make lots of precautions, but the day we find something and bring it to earth, it will happened exactly the opposite. It will contaminate everything in its path. When that day comes, because it will (unless they learn with this particular event), lets just hope it isn’t deadly…