Microbe Survives Mars-Like Conditions in Lab

University of Florida researchers found the salt-loving microbe Haloferax volcanii can grow under low-pressure, oxygen-free conditions resembling Mars.

Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Life Sciences

Sealed glass culture flask with reddish-amber liquid and biofilm on a steel lab bench beside a dim, rust-toned chamber. — University of Florida researchers grew the salt-loving microbe Haloferax volcanii for 160 days in oxygen-free, low-pressure, carbon-dioxide-rich conditions mimicking Mars. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Researchers at the University of Florida grew the microbe Haloferax volcanii for 160 days in oxygen-free, carbon-dioxide-rich conditions at a fraction of Earth's atmospheric pressure. The findings were published November 5 in Applied and Environmental Microbiology.

Why it matters

The results suggest that Mars missions searching for life may need to look beneath the planet's surface, where some environments could potentially support active microbes. The study shows a microbe can persist and grow under conditions previously considered too harsh for life.

The experiment was conducted in a solution seven times saltier than seawater at 70 degrees Fahrenheit, over 160 days. Cultures lacking nitrate or perchlorate remained viable but showed no measurable growth, leaving open how fully real Martian conditions would be replicated.

The players

University of Florida

A public research university in Gainesville, Florida, whose researchers led the study of microbial growth under Mars-like conditions.

Los Angeles Natural History Museum

A museum in Los Angeles whose affiliated scientist Scott Perl co-led the research on Haloferax volcanii.

The details

The microbe was kept in oxygen-free, carbon-dioxide-rich conditions and given nitrate or perchlorate in place of oxygen for respiration. Researchers also observed biofilms in the low-pressure cultures, which lost little of their water over the experiment.

The 160-day culture experiment was completed prior to publication.
Findings were published November 5 in Applied and Environmental Microbiology.

Life Sciences Context

The findings extend the subsurface-life hypothesis that informs NASA's Mars exploration program, which has prioritized searching for biosignatures beneath the planet's surface. Laboratory results like these help test whether salt-tolerant microbes could persist in environments once considered too harsh for life.

Future Mars missions may choose to target subsurface environments in their search for life, which could shape instrument design and landing site selection. The research also informs how scientists evaluate whether harsh environments on Earth or other planets could support living organisms.

The takeaway

Life may persist in conditions once thought hostile, so searches for extraterrestrial life should not rule out subsurface or low-pressure environments. Observing how microbes adapt to extreme settings offers useful guidance for future exploration.