Astronomy current events question: Tersicoccus phoenicis

Astronomy 210L, fall semester 2013
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA

Students are assigned to read online articles on current astronomy events, and take a short current events quiz during the first 10 minutes of lab. (This motivates students to show up promptly to lab, as the time cut-off for the quiz is strictly enforced!)

Aaron L. Gronstal, "A New Microbe Living in Spacecraft Clean Rooms," November 12, 2013
http://www.astrobio.net/exclusive/5815/a-new-microbe-living-in-spacecraft-clean-rooms

Scientists have identified a new bacterium Tersicoccus phoenicis living in spacecraft assembly rooms, which may pose a problem by:
(A) making assembly room workers sick.
(B) disrupting spacecraft electronic components.
(C) contaminating experiments on other planets.
(D) infecting onboard biological samples.
(E) disrupting fuel cell operations.

Correct answer: (C)

Student responses
Sections 70178, 70186, 70200
(A) : 1 student
(B) : 1 student
(C) : 32 students
(D) : 17 students
(E) : 2 students