The cyanobacterium Chroococcidiopsis, or simply Chroo, has demonstrated a unique ability to survive the extreme conditions of space. In a study as part of the BIOMEX and BOSS projects aboard the ISS, the bacterium was exposed for a long time to vacuum, microgravity and cosmic radiation at doses 2,400 times higher than those lethal to humans. After a year and a half of "travel" through space and then returning to Earth, the cells activated DNA repair genes and did not show mutations in subsequent generations.
The most useful feature for future missions is the bacterium's ability to live on Martian or lunar soil and produce oxygen through photosynthesis. It can even cope with toxic perchlorates found on Mars.
New projects, including CyanoTechRider and BIOSIGN, will continue to study Chroo's ability to adapt to different conditions, including the use of infrared light. But even now, these unique properties make Chroo a potential biotechnological platform for creating autonomous ecosystems beyond Earth.
