http://www.newsweek.com/bacteria-could-help-humans-colonize-mars-alien-life-977509

A study into a group of hardy organisms that can survive inhospitable conditions could one day help humans to colonize Mars and provide clues as to where we might find life on other planets.

An international team of scientists led by researchers from Imperial College London examined one of the largest groups of bacteria to understand more about photosynthesis—the process by which plants and other organisms make and store energy from light to produce oxygen.