Martian Life Could Be a Biotech Bonanza

The discovery of briny water on the Martian surface has brought new optimism that life might exist on our neighboring planet.
When NASA scientists announced that instruments on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter sensed signs of liquid water seeping on the Martian surface, they meant a solution salty enough to kill most living things on Earth. Temperatures on Mars are well below zero, so any liquid water would have to be loaded with salt – and probably not ordinary sodium chloride but something nastier—perchlorates, which are used in rocket fuel.