Rock Archives — Curiosmos

$A group of microbial cells, highlighted in green, is shown in the image, where their DNA is visibly present inside each cell. Initially, these microbes were discovered in tiny fractures within the rock sample using an advanced infrared technique called O-PTIR spectroscopy. Following this, the cells were treated with a green dye and further analyzed under both a scanning electron microscope and fluorescent microscopy. By combining data from these three imaging methods, researchers were able to confirm that the microbes were both native to the 2-billion-year-old rock and still living. Credit: Y. Suzuki, S. J. Webb, M. Kouduka et al. 2024/ Microbial Ecology/ CC BY NC ND$

Science

Scientists Discover Ancient Microbes in a 2-Billion-Year-Old Rock—Could They Unlock Clues About Life on Mars?

October 5, 2024

Tag: Rock

Scientists Discover Ancient Microbes in a 2-Billion-Year-Old Rock—Could They Unlock Clues About Life on Mars?