[Microorganisms]. Over the course of Martian history, the presence of atmospheric carbon dioxide and potential subsurface molecular hydrogen (H2), in addition to potential surface and subsurface liquid water, suggests that […]
Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments
Posted inExtremeophiles and Extreme Environments
Assessment Of Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Survival Upon Exposure to Transient High Pressure and Temperature in a High-Intensity Shock Tube for Astrobiology (HISTA)
[bio-protocol] Understanding microbial survival under extreme planetary conditions is critical for astrobiology and stress biology.
Posted inExtremeophiles and Extreme Environments
Methanotrophy Under Extreme Alkalinity In A Serpentinizing System
[Nature] Serpentinization produces hyperalkaline, H2– and CH4-rich fluids that support microbial life and serve as analogs for ocean worlds such as Enceladus. While methane production in these systems has been […]
Posted inExtremeophiles and Extreme Environments
Comparative Genomics Of Space-resilient Chroococcidiopsis Cyanobacteria Reveals A Core Genetic Repertoire Supporting Extreme Tolerance Towards Desert And Non-Earth Conditions
[FEMS Microbes] Desert cyanobacteria of the Chroococcidiopsis genus, due to their remarkable desiccation and radiation tolerance, are considered model candidates in the field of astrobiology.
Posted inCryobiology
Microbial Diversity In Pyrenean Ice Caves: Extreme Cryogenic Environments As Analogues For Extraterrestrial Habitability
[FEMS Microbes] Pyrenean ice caves are the least studies cryogenic environments that preserve perennial ice. These caves host microbial communities adapted to extreme oligotrophy, low temperatures, and episodic water availability, […]
Posted inTardigrades
Extraordinary Creatures: Tardigrades
[Journal of Experimental Biology] Tardigrades are tiny ecdysozoans – creatures that grow by shedding their cuticle – with approximately 1500 species that have spread across the planet, from the ocean […]
Posted inExtremeophiles and Extreme Environments
Bacteria That Convert Uranium Into A Stable Chemical Compound
[HZDR] The radioactive heavy metal uranium is usually found in the soil in a mineral-bound form but can be converted into soluble forms by environmental influences or mining activities. If […]
Posted inExtremeophiles and Extreme Environments
From Mars to Minas: Research Reclassifies Organisms That Thrive In Highly Saline Environments
[JORNAL DA USP – Universidade de São Paulo] Organisms that defy life by thriving in environments where most other living beings could not survive. To date, there is no scientific […]
Posted inWater/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Deep-sea Creatures’ Epic Migrations Between Hydrothermal Vents
[University of Tokyo] Hydrothermal vents on the bottom of the ocean host a broad range of rare and unusual ecosystems. They can be spread very far apart, and yet there […]
![(A) Sampling location at the origin of Río Tinto, Spain (modified from García-Moyano et al., 2007). (B) The iron microbialites (white arrow) grew horizontally on a northeast-facing wall. (C) -- [GSA Bulletin]](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Iron-microbialites.png?resize=1200%2C720&ssl=1)
Posted inAnalog Studies
Iron Microbialites From An Acidic Martian Analog (Río Tinto, Spain)—Implications For Finding Life On Mars
[GSA Bulletin] The search for life on Mars requires identifying suitable biosignatures detectable by rover missions or in returned samples. To support the progressing astrobiological exploration of Mars, we investigated […]