This wild bioplastic made of algae just aced a Mars pressure test. Can astronauts use it to build on the Red Planet?

> In a potential milestone for space exploration, scientists have successfully grown algae under simulated Martian conditions using equipment made from biodegradable bioplastics — a step that could bring long-term space colonization closer to reality.

> As interest in human missions to Mars grows, scientists are focusing on how to sustain life in space **without constant resupply from Earth.** A team of researchers led by Robin Wordsworth of Harvard University demonstrated that green algae can not only survive but thrive inside bioplastic chambers designed to mimic the extreme environment of the Red Planet.

> “If you have a habitat that is composed of bioplastic, and it grows algae within it, that algae could produce more bioplastic,” Wordsworth said in a statement. “So you start to have a closed-loop system that can sustain itself and even grow through time.”

> In laboratory tests, Wordsworth and his team cultivated a common type of green algae called **Dunaliella tertiolecta** inside a 3D-printed chamber made from polylactic acid, which is a biodegradable plastic derived from natural sources. The chamber was engineered to replicate the thin, carbon dioxide–rich atmosphere of Mars, which has a surface pressure less than 1% that of Earth.

> **Despite these extreme conditions, the algae were able to perform photosynthesis.**

Do you think that we might be the ancient alien species that we portray in sci-fi? We are planning on seeding another planet and building robots with AI. I was born in the wrong timeline.