title: Extremophiles survival to simulated space conditions: an astrobiology model study.
abstract: In this work we investigated the ability of four extremophilic bacteria from Archaea and Bacteria domains to resist to space environment by exposing them to extreme conditions of temperature, UV radiation, desiccation coupled to low pressure generated in a Mars' conditions simulator. All the investigated extremophilic strains (namely Sulfolobus solfataricus, Haloterrigena hispanica, Thermotoga neapolitana and Geobacillus thermantarcticus) showed a good resistance to the simulation of the temperature variation in the space; on the other hand irradiation with UV at 254 nm affected only slightly the growth of H. hispanica, G. thermantarcticus and S. solfataricus; finally exposition to Mars simulated condition showed that H. hispanica and G. thermantarcticus were resistant to desiccation and low pressure.
authors.affiliation: CNR-National Research Council of Italy, Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry, Via Campi Flegrei 34, 80078, Pozzuoli, Na, Italy, vincenzamastascusa@gmail.com.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Mastascusa
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Romano
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Di Donato
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Poli
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Della Corte
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rotundi
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bussoletti
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Quarto
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pugliese
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Nicolaus
mesh_terms: D003080:Cold Temperature; D003890:Desiccation; D019605:Euryarchaeota / Q000254:growth & development / Q000528:radiation effects*; D018559:Exobiology; D005118:Extraterrestrial Environment; D056506:Geobacillus / Q000254:growth & development / Q000528:radiation effects*; D006358:Hot Temperature; D018535:Mars; D050296:Microbial Viability / Q000528:radiation effects; D018561:Space Simulation; D048229:Sulfolobus solfataricus / Q000254:growth & development / Q000528:radiation effects*; D046949:Thermotoga neapolitana / Q000254:growth & development / Q000528:radiation effects*; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays; D014618:Vacuum