TOLERANCE OF BACILLUS PUMILUS TO PERCHLORATES: IMPLICATIONS FOR MARS’ HABITABILITY

On Earth, a study performed on rovers showed that some Bacillus species managed to grow in perchlorate solutions. This could mean that certain species of the genus might survive on Mars where perchlorates have been detected. This work explores the tolerance of Bacillus pumilus to magnesium perchlorate at a concentration similar to that reported for Mars’ surface.