Earth-Based Bacteria Colonises Asteroid Ryugu

Scientists have made an interesting discovery from a sample from asteroid ‘Ryugu’. It was found to have earth-based microorganisms following its return to the planet. The study highlighted the possibility of life beyond the planet earth.

Notably, the samples were collected during Japan’s Hayabusa-2 spacecraft, which was launched in December 2014 and later successfully came together with Ryugu in June 2018.

Researchers spent close to a year studying the asteroid, which measured 3,000 feet (900 meters) in diameter. Later on the sample was studied by various researchers for analysis.

“We found micro-organisms in a sample returned from an asteroid. They appeared on the rock and spread with time before finally dying off” said Matthew Genge, team leader and palaeontologist at Imperial College London.

The research team observed filamentous structures, which belonged to common bacterial groups such as Bacillus. However, their exact identity remains unclear.

Notably, initial scans didn’t report any microbial activity. But, when the sample was introduced in the Earth’s atmosphere, microorganisms came to life on the specimen’s surface.

Scientists have made an interesting discovery from an asteroid sample called ‘Ryugu’. It was found to have earth-based microorganisms following its return to the planet