These Bacteria Could Live in Europa’s Ocean
@...@ In addition to a global liquid ocean, Europa, which is about one~quarter the diameter of Earth, has a metal~rich core and rocky interior, providing both the chemistry ©and possible energy sources to support life//
Measurements from NASA*s Galileo mission to Jupiter indicate that Europa*s ocean is rich in magnesium sulfate, among other salts//
@...@ That got scientists ©curious about how well some bacteria that live in harsh environments on Earth would fare under even more extreme conditions that may exist on Europa//
Astrobiologist Sandra Ramirez, with Mexico*s Universidad Autonoma del Estado de Morelos, and colleagues tested three strains of bacteria ~~ Bacillus pumilus, ©Halomonas halodurans and Salinibacter ruber ~~ under different concentrations of sodium chloride, magnesium chloride, sodium sulfate and magnesium sulfate//