If even some hardy Earth organisms can survive (the article doesn't say anything about it, but this was almost certainly survival in a dormant desiccated state

If even some hardy Earth organisms can survive (the article doesn't say anything about it, but this was almost certainly survival in a dormant desiccated state rather than being metabolically active doing fungus things) Martian conditions, it slightly raises the odds that whatever microbial life Mars may have once hosted may still exist in protected, hard-to-reach spots – possibly hundreds of meters beneath the surface like a surprising amount of Earth life. It also slightly raises the odds that genetically modified fungi and lichen might be able to metabolize and grow on Mars at least if suitably protected, which may have implications on astronaut food and oxygen production as well as, much more speculatively, terraforming. Further, it has implications on planetary protection – the measures we take to avoid accidentally infesting other worlds with Earth life.