Recap of Robot Sampling

• Hand, Wheels/Treads, and Soil/Water samples were taken to test for bacteria

• Incubated at 37ºC for 2 days for microbial growth

Colony Forming Units (CFU)

• A measure of viable bacterial or fungal numbers

• A single bacterium can grow and become a colony

Contamination

• Accidental introduction of “foreign” material that can distort the results of an experiment

Could the results show contamination?

How could contamination occur?

Planetary Protection

• Preventing life from getting from one planet to another and causing harm

• Even with super clean spacecraft, some microbes will always get by

Ways to Prevent Contamination

Sterile environment

UV

What else