NASA could have accidentally brought an invasive species to a new planet.
suggesting that NASA's attempts to explore the Red Planet may have already contaminated it with resilient and possibly dangerous microbial life.
In other words, there's a real risk that scientists will eventually find evidence of life on Mars — that we accidentally brought there ourselves.In fact, the clean rooms at NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab might accidentally serve as a sort of proving grounds for microbial life — a challenging environment where only the hardiest bugs can survive.
Mason's own research involved scanning the JPL for DNA and identified microbes capable of latching onto metal surfaces and tolerating both radiation and extreme colds — all qualities that might help a bug hitch a ride to space and actually survive the ordeal. "These findings have implications for a form of planetary protection called 'forward contamination,'" Mason wrote in the. "This is where we might bring something to another planet. It is important to ensure the safety and preservation of any life that might exist elsewhere in the universe, since new organisms can wreak havoc when they arrive at a new ecosystem.