Microorganisms from Earth could survive on celestial bodies with water, such as Mars, according to PhD candidate Tommaso Zaccaria after experiments with simulated space conditions.

How this affects you

This research suggests terrestrial pathogens could survive and potentially thrive in extraterrestrial environments like Mars, posing risks for space exploration and human health, as the human immune system reacts less effectively to pathogens that have undergone simulated space journeys.