Microorganisms like to eat meteorites

The metals in rock meteorites are the favorite food source of a microorganism named Metallosphaera sedula.

M. sedula eats seeds in asteroid.(Photo: Science Daily).

M. sedula draw energy from inorganic substances. The researchers found that M. sedula eats minerals in meteorites faster than they eat minerals on rocks on Earth. This finding provides valuable insights into the conditions that allow life to emerge and evolve in its infancy, as well as how microorganisms exist in outer space. The results of the study were published today 2 December in Scientific Reports.

M. sedula is heat resistant and low pH. Previous experiments have shown that it can live on Martian soil. The team from Vienne University decided to test M. sedula on a 120kg meteorite called NWA 1172 , found in northwestern Africa in 2000. This meteorite is rich in iron, the microorganism element that oxidizes to coral. Steamer, and other trace metals help promote metabolism and development. The researchers also fed M. sedula a sample of the mineral chalcopyrite on Earth, made of copper, iron and sulfur.

They found M. sedula cells digested the meteorite much faster than chalcopyrite. They live and thrive on rock meteorites by eating metal components, according to space biologist Tetyana Milojevic at Vienne University. The study also revealed that alien materials could provide food for some of the earliest life forms on Earth. Meteors can provide many essential compounds that support the evolution of life.