EPSC Abstracts Vol. 8, EPSC2013-930, 2013 European Planetary Science Congress 2013 EEuropeaPn PlanetarSy Science CCongress c Author(s) 2013 BOSS on EXPOSE-R2-Comparative Investigations on Biofilm and Planktonic cells of Deinococcus geothermalis as Mission Preparation Tests Corinna Panitz1,2, Petra Rettberg2, Jan Frösler3, Prof. H. - C. Flemming3, Elke Rabbow2, Günther Reitz2 1RWTH Aachen/Medical Faculty, Inst.of Aerospace Medicine - Aachen, Germany, 2DLR, Inst.of Aerospace Medicine, Radiation Biology Dep. - Köln, Germany,3Universität Duisburg-Essen, Fakultät für Chemie - Biofilm Centre - Essen, Germany1; (
[email protected] / Fax: +49-2203-61970) Abstract not only bacteria and Archaea, have mechanisms by which they can adhere to surfaces and to each other. Biofilms are of interest for Astrobiological investi- Biofilms are characterized by structural heterogeneity, gations since they are one of the oldest clear signs of genetic diversity, and complex community inter- life on Earth. In the experiment BOSS the hypothesis actions using the EPS matrix for stable, long-term interactions and as an external digestion system. This will be tested if the biofilm form of life with micro- matrix is strong enough that under certain conditions organisms embedded and aggregated in their EPS biofilms can even become fossilized. Usually, abiotic matrix is suited to support long-term survival of particles are associated with the “sticky” biofilm microorganisms under the harsh environmental con- matrix. One benefit of this environment is increased ditions as they exist in space and on Mars and is resistance to different chemical and physical agents superior to the same bacteria in the form of plank- as the dense extracellular matrix and the outer layer tonic cultures.