Dried colonies of the Antarctic rock-inhabiting meristematic fungi
Cryomyces antarcticus CCFEE 515, CCFEE 534 and C. minteri
CCFEE 5187, as well as fragments of rocks colonized by the Antarctic
cryptoendolithic community, were exposed to a set of ground-based experiment
verification tests (EVTs) at the German Aerospace Center (DLR, Köln,
Germany). These were carried out to test the tolerance of these organisms in
view of their possible exposure to space conditions outside of the
International Space Station (ISS). Tests included single or combined simulated
space and Martian conditions. Responses were analysed both by cultural and
microscopic methods. Thereby, colony formation capacities were measured and
the cellular viability was assessed using live/dead dyes FUN 1 and SYTOX
Green. The results clearly suggest a general good resistance of all the
samples investigated. C. minteri CCFEE 5187, C. antarcticus
CCFEE 515 and colonized rocks were selected as suitable candidates to
withstand space flight and long-term permanence in space on the ISS in the
framework of the LIchens and Fungi Experiments (LIFE programme, European Space
Agency).
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