Are Clouds Full Of Bacteria?

Bacteria seems to live everywhere, but does it live high up in the clouds? What would it be doing up there?

Read More:
Microbes floating among clouds munch on sugar
"Floating in a cloud and noshing sweets while wrapped in a cozy bubble sounds like a pleasant dream. For some lucky bacteria, it may be a reality."

Biotransformation of Various Saccharides and Production of Exopolymeric Substances by Cloud=Borne Bacillus
"The ability of Bacillus sp. 3B6, a bacterial strain isolated from cloudwaters, to biotransform saccharides present in the atmosphere was evaluated using in situ 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy."

Bird, Plane, Bacteria? Microbes Thrive In Storm Clouds
"Microbes are known to be able to thrive in extreme environments, from inside fiery volcanoes to down on the bottom of the ocean."

Storm Clouds Crawling With Bacteria
"The storm clouds in Earth's atmosphere are filled with microbial life, according to a new study."

Microbes may sky jump to new hosts
"Scientists have been probing the role of microbes in cloud formation and precipitation, something discussed in a May 24 session at the American Society for Microbiology meeting, in New Orleans."

Does Rain Come From Life in the Clouds?
"Scientists are making their first forays into the mysterious world of biology miles up in the air. Their startling conclusion: That ecosystem in the sky might influence tomorrow's weather and next year's harvest."

Why Are There Saccharides In Atmosphere

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[WobblesandBean]

Isn't this kind of like a "no duh" moment? I don't know why anyone thought that clouds, places full of moisture in which bacteria thrive, were somehow totally sterile.

[AnirudhGargSage]

a virus infected the cloud, get me a android that eats apple flavored yogurt to fight em off.

[amihartz]

If bacteria can live in the atmosphere, then doesn't that mean there can be life on Jupiter in the clouds?

[angelic]

Well, bacteria are basically symbionts by nature. So "harmful" bacteria are by definition failed symbionts.
Living in the wrong environment.
In reality the majority of all bacteria are beneficial in some way or neutral towards humans.
We really need to change the public opinion on this.

[BudCharlesUnderVlogs]

2:24 Wait they have natural radiation shields? Could we use this for space exploration and protection from increasing UV levels? Or even for shielding power stations in case of a solar storm?

[Andre_Berthiaume]

Hi DNEWS: Show request: Given that bacteria are everywhere, how realistic/hard is it to send future probes to Titan/Europa/other moons to detect life without those probes contaminating the landing site ?

[JC]

As a future meteorologist, I already learned that bacteria is in the air. One theory is that when the earth warms, the warm air (from conduction of the Earth) goes up. The empty area, where the warm air used to be, is replaced by cool air... called wind! (Convection). Anyways, the warm air going up carries light weight bacteria, Protista, amoeba, etc into the air where they become the impurity for microscopic water droplets to come together to form a single rain drop.

[Suriner]

I love my extension that changes "cloud" to "butt".

[RhinoXpress]

makes sense from a ecological standpoint how bacteria and fungus helped formed life on newly formed land masses  by hitching a ride on the clouds and when rain would fall those bacteria would land on the surface. that type of traveling  would surely help develop life much more quickly on a planet.

[hrdknx]

Does that mean that bacteria could be living in the atmosphere of other planets like Gas giants?

[Ramiromasters]

This makes me wonder...
Is there life on Jupiter? Saturn?
The other giant windex orbs?

[MerpSquirrel]

Its fine now but freaks me out if some really dangerous bacteria is released, we are screwed.  

[KrisBendix]

So send these to Venus and let them terraform it.

[SoulTouchMusic]

the fact that now we know doesn't make the world worse or even more dangerous than how it was 3 mins ago, it is just the same, we just are not oblivious anymore!

[BinaryRose]

If bacteria can live in the clouds here on Earth, what about the upper atmosphere in the gas planets in our solar system. I know people want to see complex lifeforms on other planets but confirmation that at least micro-organisms exist on planets other than Earth is exciting to me.

[UltraK]

I already knew this, so it doesn't surprise me at all. What would surprise me is if I learned that bacteria can somehow survive Earth's mantle.

[furonwarrior]

Hey DNews, I'm sorry to hear about the amounts of people unsubscribing because their disapproval of the other cast members leaving. I still think you're all doing one hell of a job. Keep that shit up! 😉

[Piustastic]

How much do these bacteria change the chemical composition and characteristics of clouds? For example, how much are the pH level of these clouds affected by these microorganisms?

Is this a factor when looking for life at other planets when looking at the spectral lines of atoms?

[RonaldSL-]

Sooo... The clouds have sugars? I KNEW IT! It was candy floss all along! Mum was wrong all along!

[Crick]

If there are bacteria in the clouds then I WANT A SKYBISON!!! Everything would be so much better with a skybison...