WORMS SURVIVE IN ‘MARS’ SOIL.
STEP TOWARD GROWING CROPS ON RED PLANET
Dr. Wieger Wamelink peered into a glass jar of worms on his desk, and was surprised to see five creatures wiggling around — the jar was initially home to just four worms.
Over the coming days, the Netherlander discovered there were actually three baby worms living in the jar, a moment he describes as a “really big surprise” that he just “couldn’t believe.”
Most people probably wouldn’t get excited about worms reproducing, but these ones were special. They were “Martian” worms, living in soil created by NASA to simulate the dirt found on Mars.
Unlike the dirt here on Earth, soil on Mars is very sharp because it doesn’t experience the same degree of weathering. It also doesn’t have many nutrients and contains toxic compounds.
Wamelink and his team at Wageningen University and Research Centre in the Netherlands wanted to see if worms could survive in this harsh environment, to determine they could be used to aid crop production on the red planet.
Worms are a crucial part of the agricultural cycle. They break down plant parts into nutrients that are returned to the soil and used for future crops. They also dig tunnels, making it easier for water to enter the soil. But this process would be difficult in Martian dirt — Wamelink compared the task to humans eating glass.
But the worms not only survived, they thrived, which became clear when they produced offspring.
Wamelink said this was especially exciting because worms prevent waste and nutrients from escaping the ecosystem. “Nothing can be lost (on Mars) if we want to build a sustainable ecosystem,” he said.
The ecologist said that while this is a great first step, there’s still a lot to consider moving forward. First, the soil simulant (which costs $2,500 per 100 kilograms to purchase) isn’t exactly like Martian soil. It’s missing an important component — perchlorate. This chemical compound, which was discovered on Mars only about two years ago, could be lethal to worms and plants alike, he said.
The researcher has started experiments growing plants in soil that contains a high concentration of chloride, which makes up perchlorate. He’s also been toying with other solutions, such as using bacteria to break down perchlorate.
Moving forward with Martian crop-production research, worms are certainly something new to consider, said Dr. Thomas Graham, research and development manager for the University of Guelph’s Controlled Environment Systems Research Facility.
But he also suggested more research should be focused on genetically altering the crops themselves, so they’re more ideal for a life in space.
As for the worms? They are now squirming free in a university garden. “We decided to let them live in the nice soil,” Wamelink said.