Authors: Galletta, G; Ferri, F; Fanti, G; D'Alessandro, M; Bertoloni, G; Pavarin, D; Bettanini, C; Cozza, P; Pretto, P; Bianchini, G; Debei, S;; The Martian Environment Simulator (SAM "Simulatore di Ambiente Marziano") is a interdisciplinary project of Astrobiology done at University of Padua. The research is aimed to the study of the survival of the microorganisms exposed to the "extreme" planetary environment. The facility has been designed in order to simulate Mars' environmental conditions in terms of atmospheric pressure, temperature cycles and UV radiation dose. The bacterial cells, contained into dedicated capsules, will be exposed to thermal cycles simulating diurnal and seasonal Martian cycles. The metabolism of the different biological samples will be analysed at different phases of the experiment, to study their survival and eventual activity of protein synthesis (mortality, mutations and capability of DNA reparing). We describe the experimental facility and provide the perspectives of the biological experiments we will perform in order to provide hints on the possibility of life on Mars either autochthonous or imported from Earth. © 2006 Springer Science+Business Media, B.V. Galletta; Ferri; Fanti; D'Alessandro; Bertoloni; Pavarin; Bettanini; Cozza; Pretto; Bianchini; Debei

Journal: English

Conference: 627

Published: doi

DOI: WOS:000243623600028

Volume: ORIGINS OF LIFE AND EVOLUTION OF THE BIOSPHERE###0169-6149, Issue: 36, Pages: 627-SAM, the Italian Martian Simulation Chamber