VIENNA, March 1 (Xinhua) -- A certain Deep-sea microbe might be able to survive in conditions closely matched with one of Saturn's moons, according to research published on Tuesday.
In 2005, NASA's Cassini spacecraft detected geysers erupting from the surface of Enceladus, an icy moon orbiting Saturn. Since then researchers have continued to study the moon, trying to figure out if it can be a potential host for alien life.
Researchers at the University of Vienna created several simulations to model various conditions on the moon, varying the pressure to mimic different depths as well as changing ph levels and temperatures.
They then introduced three species of methanogenic archaeal, a type of microorganism that gobbles up carbon dioxide and hydrogen, producing methane as a waste product.
Some methanogens are extremophiles on earth -- known to live deep in the ocean at hydrothermal vents, surviving on the intense heat and chemicals.
One of those organism, called Methanothermococcus okinawensis, found in hydrothermal vents in the East China Sea could thrive irrespective of conditions the researchers dished out, such as all kinds of pressures and temperatures, whether it was given vitamins or exposed to toxic chemicals.
The results of the experiment suggests that a similar creature could possibly survive in Enceladus' oceans. The study appears in the journal Nature Communications.
Simon Rittmann, a biologist who led the research at the University of Vienna, said, "We've extended the boundaries within which we know methanogens can live."
"They are really robust," said Rittmann, "Life is present under so many different conditions on Earth and researchers who work on the origins of life in different environments keep on extending the boundaries under which it can thrive."
