NASA confirms impossible form of life in bacteria from a California lake

For the past week or so, NASA has been building up to a press conference which took place yesterday that would promise to make a significant impact in the way we look for life elseware in the solar system. Many thought that this was a discovery of a life form on another world, but what it turned out to be was a little more surprising. 

At Mono Lake located in California, researchers have been conducting tests which led to the discovery of the first known microorganism which reproduces using the chemical arsenic. The arsenic replaces the component phosphorus in the cells. 

Ed Weiler, NASA’s associate administrator for the Science Mission Decorate said “As we pursue our efforts to seek signs of life in the solar system, we have to think more broadly”, and “the definition of life has just expanded”.

The possibilities are so vast with this discovery, that not only does it change how we look for life on Earth, but on other worlds as well. 

Researches knew that microbes had the ability to breath arsenic, but were unaware that they had the ability to build parts of themselves out of the substance. Researches in a lab grew this strain of bacteria (named GFAJ-1) using very little phosphorous. As they quit supplying phosphorous and used only arsenic, the bacteria continued to grow. 

Mono Lake was the perfect breeding ground for such unusual chemistry, as it has not had a fresh water source in over 50 years.

Mono Lake Research area

GFAJ-1 grown on arsenic.
Image Credit: Jodi Switzer Blum

Image of GFAJ-1 grown on phosphorus.
Image Credit: Jodi Switzer Blum