[meteorite-list] Italian Researchers Find Traces Of Life In

From: Ron Baalke <baalke_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 09:46:23 2004
Message-ID: <200105120014.RAA14884_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>

>
> This Discovery article seems to add just a wee bit more to the Italian
> newspaper report posted to the list yesterday:
>
> http://dsc.discovery.com/news/briefs/20010507/bacteria.html
>

Thanks for the reference. Note this line:

  "Disputing critics who suggested that the meteorites were contaminated with
   terrestrial microorganisms, Bignami added that the bacteria came back to
   life after the samples were sterilized at 950 degrees Celsius and doused in
   alcohol."

If bacteria came to life after the samples were sterilized, then it sounds like to me
the samples weren't properly sterilized.

Also, they still haven't mentioned which meteorite they're looking at.

Ron Baalke
Received on Fri 11 May 2001 08:14:10 PM PDT