The search for life beyond Earth is a key motivator in space exploration. Informational polymers, like DNA and RNA, are key biosignatures for life as we know it. The MinION is a miniature DNA sequencer based on versatile nanopore technology that could be implemented on future planetary missions. A critical unanswered question is whether the MinION and its protein-based nanopores can withstand increased radiation exposure outside Earth’s shielding magnetic field. We evaluated the effects of ionizing radiation on the MinION platform – including flow cells, reagents, and hardware – and discovered limited performance loss when exposed to ionizing doses comparable to a mission to Mars. Targets with harsher radiation environments, like Europa, would require improved radiation resistance via additional shielding or design refinements.
information processing pathways, particularly translation, DNA replication, and DNA repair. Our results lend new insight into the functional ecology of paleomat deposits, with implications for our understanding of cell biology, Antarctic microbiology and biogeography, and the limits of life in extremely harsh environments.
We report the draft genome sequence of a putative new genus and species,
Siliceabacter maunaloa
, in the family
Solirubrobacteraceae
. The members of this family of
Actinobacteria
are generally Gram positive and mesophilic. Found within a Hawaiian lava tube, this microbe illuminates the types of prokaryotes inhabiting secondary minerals in subsurface basaltic environments.
Here, we present the draft genome for a new putative species,
Gaiellasilicea maunaloa
, most closely related to
Gaiella occulta
, within the phylum
Actinobacteria.
This group contains Gram-negative, aerobic mesophilic species. This metagenome-assembled genome (MAG) contributes to knowledge of life in volcanic environments and may inform investigations of life beyond Earth.
Although robotic missions to Mars have focused on surface measurements, astrobiologists are beginning to shift their attention underground. The surface of Mars is extremely challenging for life or its traces: it is seared by ultraviolet radiation and cosmic rays and subject to widely fluctuating surface temperatures (Pavlov et al., 2012).
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