The presence of perchlorate in the Martian soil may limit in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) technologies to support human outposts. In order to exploit the desiccation, radiation-tolerant cyanobacterium Chroococcidopsis in Biological Life Support Systems based on ISRU, we investigated the perchlorate tolerance of Chroococcidopsis sp. CCMEE 029 and its derivative CCMEE 029 P-MRS. This strain was obtained from dried cells mixed with Martian regolith simulant and exposed to Mars-like conditions during the BIOMEX space experiment. After a 55-day exposure of up to 200 mM perchlorate ions, a tolerance threshold value of 100 mM perchlorate ions was identified for both Chroococcidopsis strains. After 40-day incubation, a Mars-relevant perchlorate concentration of 2.4 mM perchlorate ions, provided as a 60 and 40% mixture of Mg- and Ca-perchlorate, had no negative effect on the growth rate of the two strains. A proof-of-concept experiment was conducted using Chroococcidopsis lysate in ISRU technologies to feed a heterotrophic bacterium, i.e. an Escherichia coli strain capable of metabolizing sucrose. The sucrose content was fivefold increased in Chroococcidopsis cells through air-drying and the yielded lysate successfully supported the bacterial growth. This suggested that Chroococcidopsis is a suitable candidate for ISRU technologies to support heterotrophic BLSS components in a Mars-relevant perchlorate environment that would prove challenging to many other cyanobacteria, allowing a ‘live off the land’ approach on Mars.

中文翻译：

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利用耐高氯酸盐的沙漠蓝藻来支持细菌生长，从而在火星上就地利用资源

火星土壤中高氯酸盐的存在可能会限制原位资源利用（ISRU）技术来支持人类前哨。为了利用干燥、耐辐射的蓝藻球虫在基于 ISRU 的生物生命支持系统中，我们研究了高氯酸盐耐受性球虫sp。CCMEE 029 及其衍生物 CCMEE 029 P-MRS。该菌株是从与火星风化层模拟物混合的干细胞中获得的，并在 BIOMEX 太空实验期间暴露于类似火星的条件下。在高达 200 mM 高氯酸根离子暴露 55 天后，两者的耐受阈值为 100 mM 高氯酸根离子。球虫菌株。培养 40 天后，以 60% 和 40% 的高氯酸镁和高氯酸钙混合物的形式提供的 2.4 mM 高氯酸根离子的火星相关高氯酸根浓度对两种菌株的生长速率没有负面影响。使用以下方法进行了概念验证实验球虫ISRU 技术中的裂解物用于喂养异养细菌，即大肠杆菌能够代谢蔗糖的菌株。蔗糖含量增加了五倍球虫通过空气干燥的细胞和产生的裂解物成功地支持了细菌的生长。这表明球虫是 ISRU 技术的合适候选者，可在与火星相关的高氯酸盐环境中支持异养 BLSS 成分，这将证明对许多其他蓝细菌具有挑战性，从而允许在火星上“离地”。