Applications of extremophiles in astrobiology

Thombre, Rebecca; Vaishampayan, Parag; Gómez, Felipe

doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-818322-9.00007-1

Cited by 18 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 96 publications

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“…Due to insufficient knowledge of the surface of Mars, conclusive evidence of the existence of life on Mars could not be obtained ( 2 , 3 ). Some ecological habitats on the Earth are similar to planetary bodies in terms of nutrient composition, biogeochemistry, or topography ( 4 ). These places were once considered lifeless because of their harsh environmental conditions; however, the discovery of life in these places now provides new ideas for exploring extraterrestrial life ( 5 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Protection and Damage Repair Mechanisms Contributed To the Survival of Chroococcidiopsis sp. Exposed To a Mars-Like Near Space Environment

Zhang

et al. 2022

Microbiol Spectr

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Protection and Damage Repair Mechanisms Contributed To the Survival of Chroococcidiopsis sp. Exposed To a Mars-Like Near Space Environment

Zhang

et al. 2022

Microbiol Spectr

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“…On Earth, extremophiles [ 128 ] including archaea and bacteria live in extreme environments such as hypersaline environments, places that have extreme temperature or pressure, and places with extreme pHs. Extremophiles are the most analogous lifeforms to potential life on Europa [ 96 , 129 ].…”

Section: Proposed Metabolismsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Review on Hypothesized Metabolic Pathways on Europa and Enceladus: Space-Flight Detection Considerations

Weber

Marlin

Prakash

et al. 2023

Life

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Enceladus and Europa, icy moons of Saturn and Jupiter, respectively, are believed to be habitable with liquid water oceans and therefore are of interest for future life detection missions and mission concepts. With the limited data from missions to these moons, many studies have sought to better constrain these conditions. With these constraints, researchers have, based on modeling and experimental studies, hypothesized a number of possible metabolisms that could exist on Europa and Enceladus if these worlds host life. The most often hypothesized metabolisms are methanogenesis for Enceladus and methane oxidation/sulfate reduction on Europa. Here, we outline, review, and compare the best estimated conditions of each moon’s ocean. We then discuss the hypothetical metabolisms that have been suggested to be present on these moons, based on laboratory studies and Earth analogs. We also detail different detection methods that could be used to detect these hypothetical metabolic reactions and make recommendations for future research and considerations for future missions.

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“…C. merolae is increasingly being used as a model for studies in astrobiology and biotechnology (Miyagishima & Tanaka, 2021; Pancha et al, 2021). Therefore, understanding its role as a keystone species in an early Earth / exoplanet‐analog site such as Yellowstone National Park is essential to further advance this area of inquiry (Rothschild & Mancinelli, 2001; Seckbach et al, 2007; Thombre et al, 2020). There have also been very few population genetic analyses done on the Cyanidiophyceae; therefore, understanding genetic variation and the differential distribution, acquisition, and loss of HGTs among sub‐populations remains an open area of research.…”

Section: Future Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

Algae obscura: The potential of rare species as model systems

Etten

Benites

Stephens

et al. 2023

Journal of Phycology

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Model organism research has provided invaluable knowledge about foundational biological principles. However, most of these studies have focused on species that are in high abundance, easy to cultivate in the lab, and represent only a small fraction of extant biodiversity. Here, we present three examples of rare algae with unusual features that we refer to as "algae obscura." The Cyanidiophyceae (Rhodophyta), Glaucophyta, and Paulinella (rhizarian) lineages have all transitioned out of obscurity to become models for fundamental evolutionary research. Insights have been gained into the prevalence and importance of eukaryotic horizontal gene transfer, early Earth microbial community dynamics, primary plastid endosymbiosis, and the origin of Archaeplastida. By reviewing the research that has come from the exploration of these organisms, we demonstrate that underappreciated algae have the potential to help us formulate, refine, and substantiate core hypotheses and that such organisms should be considered when establishing future model systems.

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Applications of extremophiles in astrobiology

Cited by 18 publications

References 96 publications

Protection and Damage Repair Mechanisms Contributed To the Survival of Chroococcidiopsis sp. Exposed To a Mars-Like Near Space Environment

Protection and Damage Repair Mechanisms Contributed To the Survival of Chroococcidiopsis sp. Exposed To a Mars-Like Near Space Environment

A Review on Hypothesized Metabolic Pathways on Europa and Enceladus: Space-Flight Detection Considerations

Algae obscura: The potential of rare species as model systems

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