Quotes
JM scouts et al. Curtobacterium aetherium sp. nov., a polyextremophilic phytopathogen isolated from the stratosphere. Microbiology spectrum. Flight. 13, 2 April 2025. doi: 10.1128/spectrum.01774-24.
AJ Ellington et al. Genetic determinants of extreme UV radiation and desiccation tolerance in a bacterium recovered from the stratosphere. Microorganisms. Flight. 13, 27 March 2025. doi: 10.3390/microorganisms13040756.
NC Bryan et al. Abundance and survival of microbial aerosols in the troposphere and stratosphere. The ISME magazine. Flight. 13, July 17, 2019, p. 2789. doi: 10.1038/s41396-019-0474-0.
RL Harris and AC Schuerger. Hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis at 7-12 mbar per Methanosarcina barkeri under simulated Martian atmospheric conditions. Scientific reports. . . . Flight. 15, January 22, 2025, p. 2880. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-86145-1.
S. Seager et al. Venusian lower atmosphere haze as a repository of desiccated microbial life: a proposed life cycle for the persistence of the Venusian aerial biosphere. Astrobiology. Flight. October 21, 2021, p. 1206. doi: 10.1089/ast.2020.2244.
Douglas Fox is a freelance journalist based in Northern California. He was funded by the National Science Foundation to travel to Antarctica from November 2019 to January 2020.
