Abstract
Here, we present the draft genome of Bacillus safensis JPL-MERTA-8-2, a strain found in a spacecraft assembly cleanroom before launch of the Mars Exploration Rovers. The assembly contains 3,671,133 bp in 14 contigs.
Highlights
We present the draft genome of Bacillus safensis JPL-MERTA-8-2, a strain found in a spacecraft assembly cleanroom before launch of the Mars Exploration Rovers
The swabs and wipes are cultured and banked for further study. This particular isolate, Bacillus safensis JPL-MERTA-8-2, was collected in 2004 from soft goods of the Exploration Rovers before launch. This isolate was recently sent to the International Space Station as part of a nationwide citizen science project, Project MERCCURI
All the bacterial strains associated with this project had their genomes sequenced at the University of California Davis, as described below
Summary
We present the draft genome of Bacillus safensis JPL-MERTA-8-2, a strain found in a spacecraft assembly cleanroom before launch of the Mars Exploration Rovers. As part of standard Planetary Protection protocols at JPLNASA, all Mars-bound spacecraft are routinely sampled to monitor contamination within the spacecraft assembly cleanrooms. The swabs and wipes are cultured and banked for further study. This particular isolate, Bacillus safensis JPL-MERTA-8-2, was collected in 2004 from soft goods (e.g., lander petal fabric) of the Exploration Rovers before launch.
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