Virolithopanspermia: Might Viruses Be Transported In Rocks Through Space?

Material can apparently move between planets, at least on rare occasions. For example, meteorites have been found on Earth that appear to have originated on Mars, or even outside our solar system. The theory of panspermia posits that life might move between planets, and panspermia may be the origin of life on Earth.

However, the process of launching material off one planet and then passing through the atmosphere to land on another is harsh, likely killing off most living material transferred in the process. This has led to the conjecture that if panspermia happens, it might involve cells or spores protected inside rocks. Such protective packaging would diminish exposure to damaging heat, radiation, and cosmic rays. Thus, “lithopanspermia” is the idea that cellular life may move between planets inside rocks.

But as is described below, for any rock on Earth hosting cellular life, it will commonly host even more viral particles. This essay thus explores the idea of “virolithopanspermia”, the transport of viral particles between planets in rocks. It seems plausible to speculate that Earth may be spraying viruses into space at a low rate, and going the other way, that extraterrestrial material landing on Earth may on occasion contain recognizable viral particles.

Virolithopanspermia: Might Viruses Be Transported In Rocks Through Space?, PLoS Pathogens via PubMed

Astrobiology, Interstellar, Panspermia,