MASE (Mars Analogues for Space Exploration) was an EU-funded project over a period of four years (2014 - 2017; FP-7, grant agreement n° 607297). The international project team identified different Mars analogous environments in different European countries. The local conditions of the Mars analogous environments were investigated with respect to chemical, geological and mineralogical characteristics. The obtained environmental samples were subjected to metagenomic analyses and anaerobic microorganisms were isolated from the samples. During the project period more than 30 pure isolates were obtained and a selection was exposed to Mars relevant stress factors in the laboratory. The focus was on how the organisms react to the combined effects of different stress factors (e.g. drying, radiation, oxidizing substances) in the absence of oxygen. Some of these resistant organisms are still being studied in the MEXEM project. Metabolome and proteome analyses after stress exposure were performed with one model organism. Additionally, some isolates were fossilised/mineralised and subjected to an artificial ageing process. This should provide information on the detectability of microbial structures (biosignatures) in mineralised samples over geological time periods. Furthermore, detector systems were successfully tested with the environmental samples as well as with the pure cultures; these detector systems are intended to be used in future space mission to detect potentially existing or past life on Mars.

For further information: http://www.mase-eu.org/.

In total, the MASE project has so far resulted in 10 publications in scientific journals (see below). Another publication is in the review process, one publication is in preparation.

Beblo-Vranesevic, K., Bohmeier, M., Schleumer, S., Rabbow, E., Perras, A.K., Moissl-Eichinger, C., Schwendner, P., Cockell, C.S., Vannier, P., Marteinsson, V.T., Monaghan, E.P., Riedo, A., Ehrenfreund, P., Garcia-Descalzo, L., Gómez, F., Malki, M., Amils, R., Gaboyer, F., Hickman-Lewis, K., Westall, F., Cabezas, P., Walter, N., Rettberg, P. (2020) Impact of Simulated Martian Conditions on (Facultatively) Anaerobic Bacterial Strains from Different Mars Analogue Sites. Current Issues in Molecular Biology. 2020; 38: 103-122. Caister Academic Press. DOI: 10.21775/cimb.038.103 ISSN 1467-3037.

García-Descalzo, L., Parro, V., García-Villadangos, M., Cockell, C.S., Moissl-Eichinger, C., Perras, A., Rettberg, P., Beblo-Vranesevic, K., Bohmeier, M., Rabbow, E., Westall, F., Gaboyer, F., Amils, R., Malki, M., Marteinsson, V., Vannier, P., Ehrenfreund, P., Monaghan, E., Riedo, A., Cabezas, P., Walter, N., Gómez, F.G. (2019) Microbial Markers Profile in Anaerobic Mars Analogue Environments Using the LDChip (Life Detector Chip) Antibody Microarray Core of the SOLID (Signs of Life Detector) Platform. Microorganisms. 2019; 7(9): 365. Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI). DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms7090365. ISSN 2076-2607.

Beblo-Vranesevic, K., Bohmeier, M., Perras, A.K., Schwendner, P., Rabbow, E., Moissl-Eichinger, C., Cockell, C.S., Vannier, P., Marteinsson, V.T., Monaghan, E.P., Ehrenfreund, P., Garcia-Descalzo, L., Gómez, F., Malki, M., Amils, R., Gaboyer, F., Westall, F., Cabezas, P., Walter, N., Rettberg, P. (2018) Lack of correlation of desiccation and radiation tolerance in microorganisms from diverse extreme environments tested under anoxic conditions. FEMS Microbiology Letters. 2018; 365(6): fny044. Oxford University Press. DOI: 10.1093/femsle/fny044. ISSN 0378-1097.

Schwendner, P., Bohmeier, M., Rettberg, P., Beblo-Vranesevic, K., Gaboyer, F., Moissl-Eichinger, C., Perras, A.K., Vannier, P., Marteinsson, V.T., Garcia-Descalzo, L., Gómez, F., Malki, M., Amils, R., Westall, F., Riedo, A., Monaghan, E.P., Ehrenfreund, P., Cabezas, P., Walter, N., Cockell, C. (2018) Beyond Chloride Brines: Variable Metabolomic Responses in the Anaerobic Organism Yersinia intermedia MASE-LG-1 to NaCl and MgSO4 at Identical Water Activity. Frontiers in Microbiology. 2018; 9: 335. Frontiers Media S.A.. DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.00335. ISSN 1664-302X.

Cockell, C. S., Schwendner, P., Perras, A., Rettberg, P., Beblo-Vranesevic, K., Bohmeier, M., Rabbow, E., Moissl-Eichinger, C., Wink, L., Marteinsson, V., Vannier, P.,  Gomez, F., Garcia-Descalzo, L., Ehrenfreund, P., Monaghan, E.P., Westall, F., Gaboyer, F., Amils, R., Malki, M., Pukall, R., Cabezas, P., Walter, N. (2017) Anaerobic microorganisms in astrobiological analogue environments: from field site to culture collection. International Journal of Astrobiology. 2017; 17(4): 314-328. Cambridge University Press. DOI: 10.1017/S1473550417000246. ISSN 1473-5504.

Beblo-Vranesevic, K., Bohmeier, M., Perras, A.K., Schwendner, P., Rabbow, E., Moissl-Eichinger, C., Cockell, C.S., Pukall, R., Vannier, P., Marteinsson, V.T., Monaghan, E.P., Ehrenfreund, P., Garcia-Descalzo, L., Gómez, F., Malki, M., Amils, R., Gaboyer, F., Westall, F., Cabezas, P., Walter, N., Rettberg, P. (2017) The responses of an anaerobic microorganism, Yersinia intermedia MASE-LG-1 to individual and combined simulated Martian stresses. PLoS One. 2017; 12(10): e0185178. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0185178. ISSN 1932-6203.

Gaboyer, F., Le Milbeau, C., Bohmeier, M., Schwendner, P., Vannier, P., Beblo-Vranesevic, K., Rabbow, E., Foucher, F., Gautret, P., Guégan, R., Richard, A., Sauldubois, A., Richmann, P., Perras, A.K., Moissl-Eichinger, C., Cockell, C.S., Rettberg, P., Marteinsson, V., Monaghan, E., Ehrenfreund, P., Garcia-Descalzo, L., Gomez, F., Malki, M., Amils, R., Cabezas, P., Walter, N., Westall, F. (2017) Mineralization and Preservation of an extremotolerant Bacterium Isolated from an Early Mars Analog Environment. Scientific Reports. 2017; 7(1): 8775. Macmillan Publishers Limited, part of Springer Nature. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-08929-4 ISSN 2045-2322.

Westall F, Campbell KA, Bréhéret FG, Foucher F, Gautret P, Hubert A, Sorieul S, Grassineau N and Guido DM. 2015. Archean (3.33 Ga) microbe-sediment systems were diverse and flourished in a hydrothermal context. Geology 2015; 43: 615-618.

Westall F, Foucher F, Bost N, Bertrand M, Loizeau D, Vago JL, Kminek G, Gaboyer F, Campbell KA, Bréhéret JG, Gautret P, and Cockell CS. 2015. Biosignatures on Mars: What, Where, and How? Implications for the Search for Martian Life. Astrobiology 2015; 15(1): 998-1029.

Moissl-Eichinger, C., Cockell, C., Rettberg, P., Albers, S.-V. (Editor) (2016) Venturing into new realms? Microorganisms in space. FEMS Microbiology Reviews. 2016; 40(5): 722-737. Oxford University Press. DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuw015. ISSN 0168-6445.