One of the pioneers of the sequencing of the human genome, the Creator of the first synthetic cells and just businessman Craig Venter did make loud statements that the synthetic bacteria will help us to colonize Mars.

At the conference of Wired magazine on health, held last week, he again returned to the subject, telling about the plans to send to Mars robotic device DNA sequencing (he calls it "biologic teleport"), which sifted local soil in search of sequences or their fragments, sending the results of decoding on the Ground. Based on this information, scientists have synthesized would Martian organisms for further research. All, no messing around with the delivery of soil samples to Earth.

Mr Venter words on a wind does not throw. For several years he and his colleagues make experiments on detection of DNA fragments are samples of sea water. And he assured those gathered at the conference that the technologies that may be useful on Mars, start tested in California's Mojave desert. It may be in time for the next flight, NASA has planned for 2016 (the project InSight).

Scientist absolutely convinced, that on Mars there is a DNA-life. And it is impossible to raise a laugh. Although "the Vikings" in 1976 failed to find evidence of at least traces of life, this experiment not everything is unambiguous. Besides on Earth found such extremophiles that can live deep under the surface of the planet, without the need for solar energy. Why not like to be on Mars?

The debate about whether there was water on the red planet, continues, and the balance, it seems, began to gravitate toward those who believe in the Martian river. Recently they supported Curiosity Rover. But the water, alas, has dried up billions of years ago, and biologists have just found that DNA has more or less stable half-life, allowing it to be preserved fragments only about one and a half million years.

So it makes sense to look for only the remains of organisms that lived on Mars recently (from a geological point of view). And Mr. Venter is not alone in this. At mit for seven years create a sequencer ancient DNA and RNA SETG (Search for Extraterrestrial Genomes). It is based on a chip, developed by Ion Torrent. Already being field tested: the researchers tested the device on the active volcano in Argentina, who like their chemistry on Mars, and plan to return there in January.

By the way, Morten Arentoft from the University of Copenhagen (Denmark), who led the study, the half-life of DNA, believes that on Mars things can be different - in good and in the bad sense. On the one hand, radiation processing the surface of the red planet, accelerates the breakdown of DNA. On the other - in the dry and cold oxygen-free environment DNA can persist longer than on Earth. But don't look for it in solid tissues is only within individual cells or naked DNA. And this is the main trouble, underlines Mr. Allentown, because without the protective environment created bones and teeth, DNA degrades much faster.

It is also possible that life on Mars existed or exists in other forms, and search DNA nothing...

Prepared according to NewScientist.