The team, which included researcher Karthik Raman at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras in Chennai, found many bacterial species that resist cleaning chemicals and cling to sterile surfaces by producing sticky films. Many have genes that protect their DNA from radiation damage, while some have genes that help control cell repair under oxidative stress.

Several bacterial species can form spores, helping them form hard, protective shells to live through harsh treatments.

just so we are clear… the place where we built a spacecraft to land on another world was cleaned of everything but stuff that would be well-suited for the journey?

kinda like antibiotic overuse?