Overview
- Baker’s yeast endured meteorite‑impact–like shock waves generated in PRL’s High‑Intensity Shock Tube for Astrochemistry, reaching up to Mach 5.6.
- Cells also survived exposure to 100 mM sodium perchlorate, a toxic salt detected in Martian regolith, as well as the combined stress of shocks plus perchlorate.
- Survival came with slower growth, indicating significant physiological strain despite viability under the simulated conditions.
- Formation of stress granules and P‑bodies correlated with survival, and mutants deficient in these RNP condensates were far less likely to live.
- The team reports a technical first in exposing live cells to such shock waves, positioning yeast as a lab model for astrobiology while not constituting evidence of life on Mars.