By: Henry Wei

Scientists in China realized that Syntrichia caninervis, a type of moss, can survive Mars-like conditions. This moss, found in places like Antarctica and the Mojave Desert, is incredibly tough and can store water.

The researchers did the moss tests by putting the moss in a place with conditions like Mars, which has 95% carbon dioxide, is -196°C, has a lot of ultraviolet radiation, and low atmospheric pressure. They got the moss from antarctica and the mojave desert. Even though these conditions are tough, the moss survived and recovered from having no water. This makes the moss a great option for plants on Mars experiments.

This research explores how plants would survive on Mars. Professor Stuart McDaniel, an expert on moss at the University of Florida, said “this lowly desert moss offers hope for making small portions of Mars habitable for humankind in the future.”

The study is the beginning of putting plants on Mars. Scientists hope the moss could be transported to the Moon or Mars to see how it would survive in actual environments. Professor Edward Guinan from Villanova University said that this could help make small areas of Mars habitable for future human colonization.

This discovery represents plants on Mars, which is needed for human survival on Mars By generating oxygen from carbon dioxide. By using the moss, scientists could make more planets livable.

Image Credit by GEORGE DESIPRIS