Scientists have made an astonishing finding that brings us closer than ever to the concept of ‘Green Mars’, by discovering a desert moss species – Syntrichia caninervis – which may be able to act as a pioneer in colonising the Red Planet. A paper published in The Innovation (Cell Press) details the abilities of this amazing plant to lose more than 98 per cent of its cellular water and completely resume its photosynthetic activity within two seconds of being rehydrated.This moss has been tested under ‘Mars Simulation’ conditions, where it has survived extreme temperatures as low as -196 degrees Celsius and received high doses of radiation, all of which would be fatal to the vast majority of living organisms on Earth. It was pointed out by the Chinese Academy of Sciences that this moss is therefore classified as ‘extremotolerant’ and has exhibited greater survivability than tardigrades, providing a biological model in which to assist future terraforming efforts and produce sustainable oxygen on other planets.
