Agnirva Space Premier League - Expedition #30794: Viruses in Vacuum: Exploring DNA and Uracil Stability in Space

Can viruses or their genetic material survive the brutal conditions of space? The “Responses of Phage T7, Phage DNA and Polycrystalline Uracil to the Space Environment” experiment explored this question by testing the endurance of viral DNA and a key nucleobase (uracil) outside the ISS.

Led by Principal Investigator G. Ronto and backed by the European Space Agency (ESA), this research focused on Phage T7—a virus that infects bacteria—and its DNA, along with polycrystalline uracil, one of the four nucleobases in RNA.

These biological components were exposed to the full intensity of space: vacuum, UV and cosmic radiation, and extreme temperature fluctuations. The goal was to understand molecular degradation under real space conditions, helping scientists gauge the chances of viral or genetic material surviving interplanetary travel.

The findings showed that while these components undergo substantial degradation, some molecular structures persist long enough to raise fascinating questions about life's durability. Could fragments of life survive on comets or meteorites? Could ancient viral genes travel across the cosmos?

This experiment contributes to both astrobiology and biosecurity. Understanding how viruses and nucleic acids behave in space helps in the development of sterilization protocols for interplanetary missions and advances our grasp of life's potential spread across the universe.

By investigating the fate of DNA and RNA building blocks in space, the study builds on our growing understanding of how life’s most fundamental parts interact with the final frontier.

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