Efeitos da radiação ultravioleta solar em bactérias simulando o solo marciano
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TCC
Data de publicação
2023
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Citações (Scopus)
Autores
Fuller, Arthur Lemes
Orientador
Valio, Adriana Benetti Marques
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Microrganismos são de extrema importância dentro da Astrobiologia, que é a área da Ciência responsável pela compreensão da vida, sua origem e evolução, na Terra e no restante do Universo. Um dos pontos mais importantes dentro desta área é a busca por vida em outros planetas, incluindo Marte. Em nosso Sistema Solar, Marte é um dos principais candidatos, dadas as condições para o surgimento de vida como a conhecemos em sua superfície. Devido a diversas características climáticas e geológicas atuais, Marte não possibilita o surgimento de organismos muito sensíveis, mas há algumas espécies de microrganismos capazes de resistirem a condições extremas, os chamados extremófilos, como a bactéria Deinococcus radiodurans. Essa bactéria é a forma de vida que apresenta maior resistência à radiação dentre todos os organismos conhecidos na Terra e, como Marte apresenta uma atmosfera extremamente rarefeita, a radiação que chega à sua superfície é fatal para a maioria dos organismos. A partir da simulação do ambiente marciano, utilizando equipamentos disponíveis no Laboratório de Química Fundamental da USP, foi possível descobrir se alguns organismos seriam capazes de sobreviver em Marte levando em consideração o nível de radiação UV emitido pelo Sol que atinge a superfície do planeta. Também foi simulada uma única profundidade de solo, onde as bactérias foram colocadas com o objetivo de analisar se o solo ameniza os efeitos da radiação UV. A bactéria extremófila resistiu à radiação de forma efetiva sem a proteção do simulacro, como já era esperado, enquanto a bactéria comum Staphylococcus nepalensis apresentou uma maior taxa de sobrevivência utilizando o simulacro semelhante à da bactéria D. radiodurans.
Microorganisms are of utmost importance within Astrobiology, which is the field responsible for understanding life, as well as its origin and evolution on Earth and in the rest of the universe. As such, one of the most important aspects is the search for life on other planets, including Mars. In our Solar System, Mars is one of the main candidates for the emergence of life, as we know it, on its surface. Due to several climatic and geological characteristics, Mars currently does not allow for the emergence of very sensitive organisms. However, there are still some species of microorganisms able to withstand extreme conditions, which are the so-called extremophiles, such as the Deinococcus radiodurans bacterium. This bacterium is the most radiation-resistant life form among all known organisms on Earth, and since Mars has an extremely thin atmosphere, the radiation that reaches the planet's surface is fatal to most organisms. Therefore, by simulating the Martian environment in equipaments, at the Fundamental Chemistry Laboratory of USP, it was possible to find out whether some organisms would be able to survive on Mars, considering the level of UV radiation emitted by the Sun that reaches the surface of the planet. A single layer of soil was also simulated, under which the bacteria were placed, to analyze whether the soil softens the effects of UV radiation. The extremophile bacterium effectively resisted radiation without the soil protection, while the common bacterium Staphylococcus nepalensis showed a survival rate with the soil similar to that of the D. radiodurans bacterium.
Microorganisms are of utmost importance within Astrobiology, which is the field responsible for understanding life, as well as its origin and evolution on Earth and in the rest of the universe. As such, one of the most important aspects is the search for life on other planets, including Mars. In our Solar System, Mars is one of the main candidates for the emergence of life, as we know it, on its surface. Due to several climatic and geological characteristics, Mars currently does not allow for the emergence of very sensitive organisms. However, there are still some species of microorganisms able to withstand extreme conditions, which are the so-called extremophiles, such as the Deinococcus radiodurans bacterium. This bacterium is the most radiation-resistant life form among all known organisms on Earth, and since Mars has an extremely thin atmosphere, the radiation that reaches the planet's surface is fatal to most organisms. Therefore, by simulating the Martian environment in equipaments, at the Fundamental Chemistry Laboratory of USP, it was possible to find out whether some organisms would be able to survive on Mars, considering the level of UV radiation emitted by the Sun that reaches the surface of the planet. A single layer of soil was also simulated, under which the bacteria were placed, to analyze whether the soil softens the effects of UV radiation. The extremophile bacterium effectively resisted radiation without the soil protection, while the common bacterium Staphylococcus nepalensis showed a survival rate with the soil similar to that of the D. radiodurans bacterium.
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astrobiologia , radiação , Deinococcus radiodurans , microrganismos , astrobiology , radiation , Deinococcus Radiodurans , microorganisms