Space missions or spacecraft equipment destined for sensitive environments, such as Mars, Europa, or Enceladus, are required to be designed to avoid forward contamination.
dormancy
![Location of sediment sampling and pictures of resurrected species S. marinoi. (A) Map of the Baltic Sea (northern Europe) with the location of sediment core sampling (EMB262/6; 240 m water depth) in the eastern Gotland Basin (triangle). Additional sampling points of stratigraphy reference cores (points): M86-1a/36 [35], MSM62–60 [36], and P435-2-1 [34]. (B) Pictures of different Lugol-stained strains of S. marinoi. Strain SM_EGB_382_11 from 6871 ± 140 years of dormancy, SM_EGB_1_5 from 3 ± 2 years of dormancy, SM_EGB_107_1 from 1131 ± 110 years of dormancy, SM_EGB_20_4 from 58 ± 5 years of dormancy, and SM_EGB_232_2 from 3411 ± 120 years of dormancy. Scale bars = 20 μm. -- The ISME Journal](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Resurrection-Of-A-Diatom-After.png?resize=1200%2C717&ssl=1)
Posted inBiophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Habitable Zones, Microbiology & Virology, Sample Return, Status Report, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Resurrection Of A Diatom After 7,000 Years From Anoxic Baltic Sea Sediment
Dormancy is a widespread key life history trait observed across the tree of life. Many plankton species form dormant cell stages that accumulate in aquatic sediments and, under anoxic conditions, […]
![A generalized model of dormancy. Dormancy is a set of processes acting on agents that exist in different states of activity. Active agents transition into inactive agents through the process of dormancy initiation, while inactive agents transition into active states through the process of resuscitation. Transitions can occur stochastically or in a responsive manner. Mortality rates are assumed to be higher for active agents than for inactive agents, which can facilitate migration and colonization. This form of protection can lead to the accumulation of inactive individuals and the creation of a ’seed bank', which serves as a reservoir of information contained in agents (colours) that can generate complex behaviours through the preservation of diversity and memory. Modified figure from [10]. -- Proc Biol Sci. via PubMed](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Dormancy-in-the-Origin.png?resize=1200%2C719&ssl=1)
Posted inAstrobiology (general), Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Icy Worlds, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report
Dormancy in the Origin, Evolution and Persistence of Life on Earth
Life has existed on Earth for most of the planet’s history, yet major gaps and unresolved questions remain about how it first arose and persisted. Early Earth posed numerous challenges […]