3 ms·
In the context of these experiments the fungi don't really have to do anything in this Mars-like environment, except surviving. Many fungi can do that quite wel
by wongarsu 3y ago
In the context of these experiments the fungi don't really have to do anything in this Mars-like environment, except surviving. Many fungi can do that quite well by going in a dormant state.
If you want to take these results to extrapolate whether there could be living and "thriving" fungi on Mars right now: there are radiotrophic fungi that can extract energy from ionizing (and possibly non-ionizing) radiation. There could also be fungi capable of chemosynthesis, the production of sugar and amino acids using oxidation reactions as a fuel source.