ISRO's find: 'alien' bacteria in upper atmosphere

MUTANTS: Scientists say all the three newly identified species of bacteria have terrific UV resistance.

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New Delhi: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) claims to have found 3 unknown species of bacteria 40 kilometres above the earth's surface.

Scientists say these could be mutant forms of earthly bacteria.

A research balloon set up by ISRO has found three unknown species of bacteria in the stratosphere.

A 459 kg scientific payload, which was launched from the National Balloon Facility in Hyderabad collected air samples at heights between 20 and 41 km.

This payload was later parachuted down and retrieved.

The samples were analysed at the Center for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad and the National Center for Cell Science (NCCS), Pune before revealing the results.

Terrestrial microbes fight to survive at that height as the Sun’s ultraviolet rays kill most of them.

Surprisingly, the set of bacteria discovered by ISRO have actually been found to thrive at that height and hostile environment.

Many ask if this life form can be dubbed as alien.

Scientists say that these bacteria could be mutant forms of earthly bacteria.

Tossed into space by exploding volcanoes, they could have evolved to survive in a hostile world.

One of the new species has been named Bacillus isronensis, in recognition of ISRO's contribution in the experiment.

Another is called Bacillus Aryabhata after India's ancient astronomer Aryabhata. The third is called Janibacter hoylei, after the Astrophysicist Fred Hoyle.