Archaeon can crunch meteorite and feed on it. Chemolithotrophic microorganisms derive their energy from inorganic sources. Research into the physiological processes of these organisms – which are grown on meteorite – provides new insights into the potential of extraterrestrial materials as a source of accessible nutrients and energy for microorganisms of the early Earth. Meteorites may have delivered a variety of essential compounds facilitating the evolution of life, as we know it on Earth.
An international team around astrobiologist Tetyana Milojevic from the University of Vienna explored the physiology and metal-microbial interface of the extreme metallophilic archaeon Metallosphaera sedula...
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