Ancient fungus' revived' in lab - 180-430,000 years old!

Rxke · 2004-10-19 12:23:32

For the mouldy oldies!!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/natu … 90.stm]BBC

of course, no record: "The oldest microorganisms found alive are thought to be bacteria isolated from 25-40-million-year-old bees trapped in amber.

In 2000, US researchers claimed to have found bacteria that had remained in suspended animation for 250 million years in salt crystals. But the claim was disputed almost as soon as it was made."

But these came from deep drillings... " drilled from a depth of 5,904m in the Indian Ocean's Chagos Trench." So looks like pressure doesn''t kill them.

MarsDog · 2004-10-19 12:32:49

Does it make drinkable vine or beer ?

Shaun Barrett · 2004-10-19 18:15:39

MarsDog, I enjoy a drink as much as the next person, but I think you may be missing the point here!

[P.S. Have you considered spending time in a detox clinic?]

smurf975 · 2004-10-20 01:44:58

Is it a smart thing to do? I mean mars rocks returning missions will be sterialized. So what about eons old lifeforms?

SpaceNut · 2004-10-20 05:55:40

One more reason to beef up the ISS research lab capabilities for sample return analysis IMO. This should also include an atmospheric return as well.

ERRORIST · 2004-10-20 19:38:07

It could be the cure for aids or it could be what wipes out the planet. It should be studied on the Moon or in a lab in orbit first.

Commodore · 2004-10-20 21:28:26

It could be the cure for aids or it could be what wipes out the planet. It should be studied on the Moon or in a lab in orbit first.

It would be a sad twist of fate for us to finally find alien mircobial life, only to have it wipe us out.

MarsDog · 2004-10-21 02:48:52

Oxygen on Earth caused an extinction, and only some anaerobic bacteria survived.
If the bacteria were deadly, such as the Ebola virus; the killing of the host, quickly, would prevent it from spreading. Maximum damage would be done by a rodent spread bacteria, or a life style virus, such as aids.
-
Bring some lab mice to Mars to test for virulent organisms ?
And after the Martian life forms prove save, delicacies ?

smurf975 · 2004-10-21 07:39:41

Oxygen on Earth caused an extinction, and only some anaerobic bacteria survived.
If the bacteria were deadly, such as the Ebola virus; the killing of the host, quickly, would prevent it from spreading. Maximum damage would be done by a rodent spread bacteria, or a life style virus, such as aids.
-
Bring some lab mice to Mars to test for virulent organisms ?
And after the Martian life forms prove save, delicacies ?

Well if it is a virus it can merge with a bacteria and create more lethal versions of it self. Anyway, the chicken flu also created some mass hysteria although it was a bit exaggerated IMHO.

Basically I think this science is as dangerous nuclear technology (actually there are more risks then nuclear tech but its an example), with that I mean that in general it works and everyone is safe and happy but mistakes can happen.

And BTW, it need not to kill humans to be dangerous, it could be something that kills crops or life stocks or just kills or out performers plankton in the ocean and it's not eatable by lifeforms higher up in the chain.

For me its possibly like introducing rabbits, cats and other non local animals in Australia.

MarsDog · 2004-10-21 08:35:54

There should be good science fiction in this.
Imagine intelligent spider creatures living inside the lava tubes, hungry, prowling at night, eating all but one of the settlers who is infected with Martian Spider eggs. Returning to Earth, the spiders hatch and the IQ of Earth Spiders is raised by mating with the Martian Spiders. Out comes Spider Woman !
_
Producing nanotube spider webs, the human spiders create a space elevator and entangle the solar system into one large spider web, devouring alien starships.

smurf975 · 2004-10-21 09:50:18

There should be good science fiction in this.
Imagine intelligent spider creatures living inside the lava tubes, hungry, prowling at night, eating all but one of the settlers who is infected with Martian Spider eggs. Returning to Earth, the spiders hatch and the IQ of Earth Spiders is raised by mating with the Martian Spiders. Out comes Spider Woman !
_
Producing nanotube spider webs, the human spiders create a space elevator and entangle the solar system into one large spider web, devouring alien starships.

Was there not a 5 part movie about this? Alien?

Actually if you have seen the cartoon version of Starship Troopers you would have seen your idea. In the cartoons the insects like race merge with other lifeforms and take the best of their dna's but still be under influence of the hive queen. This also allows them to adept to a specifics planets life conditions and diseases.

MarsDog · 2004-10-21 14:07:19

The future, as always, belongs to those who can utilize the resources, including, eating everything, in a socially acceptable manner.
-
Will we make food out of Martian life, or the reverse ?
-
Martian organisms will be heavy metal tolerant, and they will be toxic to us. We, however, might be toxic to them due to the dissolved oxygen in the blood.
-
Along comes a mutation, and science fiction becomes reality.

REB · 2004-10-22 10:49:43

The future, as always, belongs to those who can utilize the resources, including, eating everything, in a socially acceptable manner.
-
Will we make food out of Martian life, or the reverse ?
-
Martian organisms will be heavy metal tolerant, and they will be toxic to us. We, however, might be toxic to them due to the dissolved oxygen in the blood.
-
Along comes a mutation, and science fiction becomes reality.

I am reminded of a quote I saw in Surfer Magazine back in my surfing days.

“When you enter the Ocean, you become part of the food chain, and not necessarily the top part of it.”

I hope this does not hold true for the Cosmic Ocean.

danajohnson · 2005-02-18 00:45:12

Presenting an image that brings both fungi and Mars together I have what resembles a mushroom on Mars, at the Gusev/Columbia Hills location near Peace rock a few weeks past. I have here a colored altered image of a 'sphere'(blueberry) with a classic stem extending upward into the air, topped by a mushroom appearing parasol cap. Any ideas as to why there are so few of these seen on Mars by both rovers? I have seen a pinnate type shaped fungus at the same area, in large number, but only one of these. Colors applied by photo editor to enhance the apparent focus. This is a 10x image magnification of the 1024 pixel original. Very fuzzy at that size. Image number on file #.
http://www.geocities.com/danajohnson0/] … ajohnson0/
A page with some details:can anyone see another in the image?http://www.geocities.com/danajohnson0/p30.html]Mars Life And Fossils 2004-2005 .........T....... :band:

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#1 2004-10-19 12:23:32

Re: Ancient fungus' revived' in lab - 180-430,000 years old!

#2 2004-10-19 12:32:49

Re: Ancient fungus' revived' in lab - 180-430,000 years old!

#3 2004-10-19 18:15:39

Re: Ancient fungus' revived' in lab - 180-430,000 years old!

#4 2004-10-20 01:44:58

Re: Ancient fungus' revived' in lab - 180-430,000 years old!

#5 2004-10-20 05:55:40

Re: Ancient fungus' revived' in lab - 180-430,000 years old!

#6 2004-10-20 19:38:07

Re: Ancient fungus' revived' in lab - 180-430,000 years old!

#7 2004-10-20 21:28:26

Re: Ancient fungus' revived' in lab - 180-430,000 years old!

#8 2004-10-21 02:48:52

Re: Ancient fungus' revived' in lab - 180-430,000 years old!

#9 2004-10-21 07:39:41

Re: Ancient fungus' revived' in lab - 180-430,000 years old!

#10 2004-10-21 08:35:54

Re: Ancient fungus' revived' in lab - 180-430,000 years old!

#11 2004-10-21 09:50:18

Re: Ancient fungus' revived' in lab - 180-430,000 years old!

#12 2004-10-21 14:07:19

Re: Ancient fungus' revived' in lab - 180-430,000 years old!

#13 2004-10-22 10:49:43

Re: Ancient fungus' revived' in lab - 180-430,000 years old!

#14 2005-02-18 00:45:12

Re: Ancient fungus' revived' in lab - 180-430,000 years old!

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