Alien microbes discovered (maybe)

Shinova · Post by **Shinova** » 2006-06-02 02:15pm

Mysterious red cells might be aliens

By Jebediah Reed
Popular Science
Friday, June 2, 2006; Posted: 12:36 p.m. EDT (16:36 GMT)

(PopSci.comexternal link) -- As bizarre as it may seem, the sample jars brimming with cloudy, reddish rainwater in Godfrey Louis's laboratory in southern India may hold, well, aliens.

In April, Louis, a solid-state physicist at Mahatma Gandhi University, published a paper in the prestigious peer-reviewed journal Astrophysics and Space Science in which he hypothesizes that the samples -- water taken from the mysterious blood-colored showers that fell sporadically across Louis's home state of Kerala in the summer of 2001 -- contain microbes from outer space.

Specifically, Louis has isolated strange, thick-walled, red-tinted cell-like structures about 10 microns in size. Stranger still, dozens of his experiments suggest that the particles may lack DNA yet still reproduce plentifully, even in water superheated to nearly 600 degrees Fahrenheit . (The known upper limit for life in water is about 250 degrees Fahrenheit .)

So how to explain them? Louis speculates that the particles could be extraterrestrial bacteria adapted to the harsh conditions of space and that the microbes hitched a ride on a comet or meteorite that later broke apart in the upper atmosphere and mixed with rain clouds above India.

If his theory proves correct, the cells would be the first confirmed evidence of alien life and, as such, could yield tantalizing new clues to the origins of life on Earth.

Last winter, Louis sent some of his samples to astronomer Chandra Wickramasinghe and his colleagues at Cardiff University in Wales, who are now attempting to replicate his experiments; Wickramasinghe expects to publish his initial findings later this year.

Meanwhile, more down-to-earth theories abound. One Indian government investigation conducted in 2001 lays blame for what some have called the "blood rains" on algae.

Other theories have implicated fungal spores, red dust swept up from the Arabian peninsula, even a fine mist of blood cells produced by a meteor striking a high-flying flock of bats.

Louis and his colleagues dismiss all these theories, pointing to the fact that both algae and fungus possess DNA and that blood cells have thin walls and die quickly when exposed to water and air.

More important, they argue, blood cells don't replicate. "We've already got some stunning pictures -- transmission electron micrographs -- of these cells sliced in the middle," Wickramasinghe says. "We see them budding, with little daughter cells inside the big cells."

Louis's theory holds special appeal for Wickramasinghe. A quarter of a century ago, he co-authored the modern theory of panspermia, which posits that bacteria-riddled space rocks seeded life on Earth.

"If it's true that life was introduced by comets four billion years ago," the astronomer says, "one would expect that microorganisms are still injected into our environment from time to time. This could be one of those events."

The next significant step, explains University of Sheffield microbiologist Milton Wainwright, who is part of another British team now studying Louis's samples, is to confirm whether the cells truly lack DNA. So far, one preliminary DNA test has come back positive.

"Life as we know it must contain DNA, or it's not life," he says. "But even if this organism proves to be an anomaly, the absence of DNA wouldn't necessarily mean it's extraterrestrial."

Louis and Wickramasinghe are planning further experiments to test the cells for specific carbon isotopes. If the results fall outside the norms for life on Earth, it would be powerful new evidence for Louis's idea, of which even Louis himself remains skeptical.

Zero · Post by **Zero** » 2006-06-02 02:20pm

It'd be cool if this panned out. I hope to see more on this in the future, because if life can exist in the empty vacuum of space, the notion that we aren't the only living world around might seem less hollow and speculative. If this life did exist in space, though, one must wonder how it got there. We have ideas of various processes to produce self-replicating structures on earth, but in space, I imagine the lack of materials, the cold, and the lack of atmosphere may make it a bit more difficult, and even if something did form in the void, I'd imagine it couldn't survive on the ground. This'll turn out interesting either way, since the creatures appear to be able to survive in very hot temperatures, and if it does pan out, that'll be really interesting.

sketerpot · Post by **sketerpot** » 2006-06-02 03:21pm

Loads more information on Dr. Louis's web site.

Post by **Surlethe** » 2006-06-02 03:58pm

Even if the theory's incorrect, this is still fucking awesome. If it's correct, it absolutely rocks the world. It's like absolute confirmation of abiogenesis, as well as confirmation that a terrestrial planet is sufficient but not necessary for the formation of life, I'd think.

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2006-06-02 04:40pm

I posted this months ago via New Scientist. No new stuff to report yet it seems.

Darth Servo · Post by **Darth Servo** » 2006-06-02 04:46pm

http://www.cartoonstock.com/directory/l ... n_mars.asp
http://www.cartoonstock.com/directory/m/mars.asp

Mange · Post by **Mange** » 2006-06-02 05:00pm

Even if it sounds too good to be extraterrestrial in origin, WTF is that? I do hope that it's extraterrestrial, I can't wait to hear the fundie reaction if that would turn out to be the case.

Mange · Post by **Mange** » 2006-06-02 05:18pm

I'm very sorry for the double post, but here's an analysis by the Cardiff University's Centre for Astrobiology:

Analysis of red rain in Kerala

This was very interesting:

Cardiff University wrote:High resolution electron microscopy has revealed internal structures as well as evidence of a replication cycle not commonly found in either bacteria or yeasts.

Dennis Toy · Post by **Dennis Toy** » 2006-06-02 10:50pm

I just hope we have some *Wildfire facility to keep this stuff, because we don't know the effects it might have on human life and/or other life forms on earth.

*cookie for reference.

Sriad · Post by **Sriad** » 2006-06-02 11:39pm

Andromeda Strain, but I googled to make sure I wasn't fooling myself.

sketerpot · Post by **sketerpot** » 2006-06-03 12:02am

Dennis Toy wrote:I just hope we have some *Wildfire facility to keep this stuff, because we don't know the effects it might have on human life and/or other life forms on earth.

The stuff fell from the damn sky over India. It doesn't get any less contained than that. Well, actually it could theoretically become less contained, but only if Klingons started running around the other continents throwing these microbes at people while holding the Containment Cops at bay with their awesome Bat'leth skills.

Dennis Toy · Post by **Dennis Toy** » 2006-06-03 03:01am

then we have to send Robocop to kill em all.

Darth Servo · Post by **Darth Servo** » 2006-06-03 08:22am

Mange wrote:Even if it sounds too good to be extraterrestrial in origin, WTF is that? I do hope that it's extraterrestrial, I can't wait to hear the fundie reaction if that would turn out to be the case.

Whats there to wait for? They'll just say its God testing us/Satan misleading us, etc, etc like they always do every OTHER time the evidence shows they're full of crap.

Mange · Post by **Mange** » 2006-06-03 08:25am

Darth Servo wrote:
Mange wrote:Even if it sounds too good to be extraterrestrial in origin, WTF is that? I do hope that it's extraterrestrial, I can't wait to hear the fundie reaction if that would turn out to be the case.
Whats there to wait for? They'll just say its God testing us/Satan misleading us, etc, etc like they always do every OTHER time the evidence shows they're full of crap.

Of course, but it's amusing (although mind-numbing) listening to the fundie spin.

outcast · Post by **outcast** » 2006-06-03 10:02am

This story has been floating around for a while now. The researchers in question have so far refused to send samples to other scientists, thereby pretty much casting serious doubt on the validity of their work. this dates back from 2001 incidentally.

wolveraptor · Post by **wolveraptor** » 2006-06-03 11:59am

This is seriously right out of X-files. They should consider filing suit against Real Life for copyright infringement.

sketerpot · Post by **sketerpot** » 2006-06-03 02:25pm

outcast wrote:This story has been floating around for a while now. The researchers in question have so far refused to send samples to other scientists, thereby pretty much casting serious doubt on the validity of their work. this dates back from 2001 incidentally.

Huh?

The article wrote:Last winter, Louis sent some of his samples to astronomer Chandra Wickramasinghe and his colleagues at Cardiff University in Wales, who are now attempting to replicate his experiments; Wickramasinghe expects to publish his initial findings later this year.

Mange · Post by **Mange** » 2006-06-03 02:38pm

outcast wrote:This story has been floating around for a while now. The researchers in question have so far refused to send samples to other scientists, thereby pretty much casting serious doubt on the validity of their work. this dates back from 2001 incidentally.

I posted a link to the Cardiff University (United Kingdom) which has analyzed samples and among other things said that:

Cardiff University wrote:High resolution electron microscopy has revealed internal structures as well as evidence of a replication cycle not commonly found in either bacteria or yeasts.

Cardiff University

Talanth · Post by **Talanth** » 2006-06-03 03:11pm

Even if it *is* life but not as we know it it still could have a terestrial origin. (I don't know how it could've gotten into the rain though!) There was a bit of a fuss kicked up when a type of bacterior descovered in deep caves was found (I think) to respire on nothing but sulphuric acid. More info here.

All in all life can evolve into some very strange things.