IISc study suggests yeast could be first Earth organism to live on Mars

Can Yeast Survive on Mars? IISc Researchers Say Yes (Image: Canva)

Yeast, a key ingredient in bread and beer, may hold clues to life on Mars. Scientists from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and the Physical Research Laboratory (PRL) have found that it can survive conditions similar to the Martian surface.

Yeast Tested Under Martian-Like Stress
Could a simple baking ingredient withstand Mars’ harsh environment? To find out, researchers exposed yeast cells to intense shock waves and toxic perchlorate salts, both common on Mars. The experiment used a High-Intensity Shock Tube for Astrochemistry (HISTA) in Bhalamurugan Sivaraman’s lab at PRL, Ahmedabad. These shock waves reached speeds up to Mach 5.6.

How Did the Yeast React?
The team treated the yeast, known scientifically as Saccharomyces cerevisiae, with 100 millimolar sodium perchlorate alone and in combination with the shock waves. Despite slowed growth, the yeast survived both treatments. The secret appears to be in its ribonucleoprotein (RNP) condensates—tiny, membrane-less structures that protect and reorganise mRNA when the cells are stressed.

Why Is This Finding Important?
Shock waves triggered two types of RNPs, stress granules and P-bodies, while perchlorate exposure led to only P-bodies. Mutant yeast unable to form these structures were far less likely to survive. “One of the biggest hurdles was setting up the HISTA tube to expose live yeast cells to shock waves and then recovering them without contamination,” said Riya Dhage, a project assistant in Purusharth I. Rajyaguru’s lab at IISc’s Department of Biochemistry.

Dhage added that the study is unique for merging shock wave physics, chemical biology, and molecular cell biology to understand how life might endure Martian stressors.

What Does It Mean for Astrobiology?
The findings, reported by IISc on Friday, highlight how baker’s yeast could become a model for India’s astrobiology research. Understanding how yeast reorganises RNA and proteins under stress could reveal how life survives beyond Earth. These insights may also help design biological systems that can withstand extreme extraterrestrial conditions.