A black fungus that thrives in damp bathrooms and has been found aboard the ISS was the toughest organism in NASA's new Moon-survival study — even outperforming a bacterium famous for being one of the most radiation-resistant lifeforms on Earth. - Space Daily

Editorial Staff

Aug 22, 2026

A black fungus that thrives in damp bathrooms and has been found aboard the ISS was the toughest organism in NASA's new Moon-survival study — even outperforming a bacterium famous for being one of the most radiation-resistant lifeforms on Earth. - Space Daily

A NASA-led model found shaded lunar south-pole niches where Earth microbes could remain viable for days. Aspergillus niger led on ultraviolet tolerance, but survival did not mean growth.

A bathroom mould is not going to spread across the Moon. There is no rain, no breathable air and no stable liquid water on the lunar surface. Yet spores carried from Earth may not die as quickly as t… [+9487 chars]

A black fungus that thrives in damp bathrooms and has been found aboard the ISS was the toughest organism in NASA's new Moon-survival study — even outperforming a bacterium famous for being one of the most radiation-resistant lifeforms on Earth. - Space Daily

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