A MYSTERY AT THE EDGE OF SPACE.
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| Title: | A MYSTERY AT THE EDGE OF SPACE. |
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| Authors: | Fox, Douglas (AUTHOR) |
| Source: | Science News. Jul2026, Vol. 208 Issue 7, p30-39. 10p. 12 Color Photographs. |
| Subjects: | Stratosphere, Microorganisms, Bacteria, Infectious disease transmission, Extraterrestrial life, Dispersal (Ecology), Ultraviolet radiation, Astrobiology |
| Abstract: | This article focuses on the discovery and study of microbes living in Earth's stratosphere, a harsh atmospheric layer about 20 to 38 kilometers above the surface. Researchers found that many of these microbes, including a newly identified plant pathogen named Curtobacterium aetherium, are not extreme specialists but rather common soil and plant-associated bacteria capable of surviving intense ultraviolet radiation, desiccation, and low pressure. These findings reveal that the atmosphere acts as a global highway for microbial dispersal, with implications for understanding pathogen spread, microbial evolution, and the potential for life in extraterrestrial environments such as Mars and Venus. The research also informs astrobiology by suggesting mechanisms through which microbes might survive in the atmospheres of other planets and exoplanets. [Extracted from the article] |
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| Database: | Engineering Source |
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| Abstract: | This article focuses on the discovery and study of microbes living in Earth's stratosphere, a harsh atmospheric layer about 20 to 38 kilometers above the surface. Researchers found that many of these microbes, including a newly identified plant pathogen named Curtobacterium aetherium, are not extreme specialists but rather common soil and plant-associated bacteria capable of surviving intense ultraviolet radiation, desiccation, and low pressure. These findings reveal that the atmosphere acts as a global highway for microbial dispersal, with implications for understanding pathogen spread, microbial evolution, and the potential for life in extraterrestrial environments such as Mars and Venus. The research also informs astrobiology by suggesting mechanisms through which microbes might survive in the atmospheres of other planets and exoplanets. [Extracted from the article] |
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| ISSN: | 00368423 |
