Scientists led by evolutionary biologist Julia Van Etten conducted research in a motel room in Nags Head, North Carolina, where they discovered two new species of Paulinella, a single-celled photosynthetic organism. The finding, published in the Journal of Phycology, brings the known total of photosynthetic Paulinella species to six and was motivated partly by concerns over federal science funding cuts.
Pioneer Labs announced sPL.001, an engineered bacterium designed to grow using Martian soil nutrients without Earth supplements, marking a key step toward terraforming Mars. The microbe can produce bioplastics for construction in a heated bioreactor, enabling a Martian city to be built from a single rocket landing while posing no threat to potential existing Martian life.
Pioneer Labs has engineered sPL.001, a bacteria designed to grow on Martian soil nutrients and produce bioplastics for construction, advancing the goal of terraforming Mars. The microbe can survive Martian conditions, requires no Earth-sourced supplements, and enables building a city with a single rocket launch, while posing no threat to potential existing Martian life.