Dark Microbiome Discovered in Atacama Desert, Could Change the Way We Explore Mars

A group of researchers, led by astrobiologist Armando Azúa-Bustos of the Center for Astrobiology in Madrid, has discovered a dark microbiome in the Atacama Desert, Chile. This dark microbiome is a genetic material of microorganisms hitherto unknown, much like dark matter in the universe which remains unidentified. The research was published in the February issue of Nature Communications, and could potentially revolutionize the way we explore Mars. The researcher Azúa-Bustos found various microorganisms that are very difficult to indicate and proposed the term ‘dark microbiome’. The team also found various biosignatures that can indicate the presence of life in a place, and the size of the production models are cut from Mars to Earth as the NASA Persistence is now collecting. Mars is the target in the NASA Artemis Program, which aims to establish a base on the red planet in the future.