Overview
- Researchers froze E. coli in pure water ice at −60°F and subjected the samples to Mars-like radiation doses representing tens of millions of years.
- More than 10% of amino acids remained intact, suggesting organic molecules can persist in clean ice far longer than previously thought.
- Mixtures with Martian-like minerals, including montmorillonite clay, degraded much faster because thin liquid-like films let reactive radicals move and destroy molecules.
- Colder environments slowed chemical breakdown, while warmer temperatures increased oxidant mobility and sped decay, refining expectations for preservation across icy terrains.
- The NASA Goddard–Penn State study, published in Astrobiology, informs mission targeting of near-surface ice and stresses that preservation findings are not evidence of life.