This 'zombie' microbe can survive extreme sterilization in space!
Tersicoccus phoenicis is a tough little bacterium found in NASA clean rooms that can survive intense cleaning—even the kind meant to wipe out all life.
Instead of forming spores, it "plays dead" by shutting down its metabolism, letting it survive the harsh sterilization protocols—including heat, chemicals, UV light, and radiation—used in NASA clean rooms.
Scientists at the University of Houston found it can stay dormant for days without food or water.
Why does this matter?
T. phoenicis was first discovered during preparations for NASA's Phoenix Mars lander and has made scientists rethink how clean spacecraft really are.
Its survival tricks could help improve how we sterilize missions headed for other planets—so we don't accidentally send Earth microbes to places like Mars.