MARS AIN’T THE KIND OF PLACE TO FEED YOUR KIDS: An algae that survived two years in outer space may hold the secret to growing food on Mars.

The BIOMEX lab was sent back to Earth in June 2016, and we are starting to get the results. Researchers are now analyzing the DNA of what survived to look for what kind of damage it may have suffered.

The surviving algae belonged to the Sphaerocystis species, found in Svalbard, a Norwegian archipelago, and the cyanobacteria to the Nostoc species, found in Antarctica. The species were selected because they are known to withstand extreme cold. The algae species protects itself by entering a dormant state, forming thick walls and orange cysts rich in cartenoids, which is the chemical that gives carrots its color and is known to be protective against radiation. These two species are now being added to the small but growing list of terrestrial organisms that can survive space, which include lichens, bacteria, and water bears (tardigrades).

A practical lesson from these survivalists could help us farm on Mars. Algae produce proteins and oxygen, both key ingredients for surviving once humans leave the blue planet.

Even here on Earth, life can be found in the most hostile environments, but for our future explorers’ sakes, let’s hope these results scale up to items tastier than algae and lichens.