Experimental and Simulation Efforts in the Astrobiological Exploration of Exooceans

Taubner, Ruth-Sophie; Olsson-Francis, Karen; Vance, Steven; Ramkissoon, Nisha K.; Postberg, F.; Vera, Jean‐Pierre de; Antunes, André; Casas, Eloi Camprubi; Sekine, Yasuhito; Noack, Lena; Barge, Laura M.; Goodman, J. C.; Jebbar, Mohamed; Journaux, Baptiste; Karatekin, Özgür; Klenner, Fabian; Rabbow, Elke; Rettberg, Petra; Rückriemen-Bez, Tina; Saur, Joachim; Shibuya, Takazo; Soderlund, K. M.

doi:10.1007/s11214-020-0635-5

Cited by 30 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 264 publications

(362 reference statements)

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“…Exploring microbial diversity in extreme environments and understanding their adaptive mechanisms allows us to expand our knowledge of potentially habitable environments capable of supporting extraterrestrial life in various planetary bodies within the Solar System, including Mars, Venus, and the satellites of Jupiter (Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto) and Saturn (Titan and Enceladus) [12][13][14][15][16]. Several studies have reported the survival and growth of microorganisms under laboratory-simulated extraterrestrial environments, such as under Enceladus-like and Mars-like conditions [11,17,18].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of Heavy Ion Particle Irradiation on Spore Germination of Bacillus spp. from Extremely Hot and Cold Environments

Zammuto

Rizzo

Plano

et al. 2020

Life

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Extremophiles are optimal models in experimentally addressing questions about the effects of cosmic radiation on biological systems. The resistance to high charge energy (HZE) particles, and helium (He) ions and iron (Fe) ions (LET at 2.2 and 200 keV/µm, respectively, until 1000 Gy), of spores from two thermophiles, Bacillushorneckiae SBP3 and Bacilluslicheniformis T14, and two psychrotolerants, Bacillus sp. A34 and A43, was investigated. Spores survived He irradiation better, whereas they were more sensitive to Fe irradiation (until 500 Gy), with spores from thermophiles being more resistant to irradiations than psychrotolerants. The survived spores showed different germination kinetics, depending on the type/dose of irradiation and the germinant used. After exposure to He 1000 Gy, D-glucose increased the lag time of thermophilic spores and induced germination of psychrotolerants, whereas L-alanine and L-valine increased the germination efficiency, except alanine for A43. FTIR spectra showed important modifications to the structural components of spores after Fe irradiation at 250 Gy, which could explain the block in spore germination, whereas minor changes were observed after He radiation that could be related to the increased permeability of the inner membranes and alterations of receptor complex structures. Our results give new insights on HZE resistance of extremophiles that are useful in different contexts, including astrobiology.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of Heavy Ion Particle Irradiation on Spore Germination of Bacillus spp. from Extremely Hot and Cold Environments

Zammuto

Rizzo

Plano

et al. 2020

Life

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“…For Europa, the upcoming missions Europa Clipper (NASA) and JUICE (Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer, ESA) will be leading the way. Scientists all over the world from different fields are working on gaining a better picture of Enceladus and Europa to help building and calibrating the instruments for the future missions [105]. The current study may contribute to this effort.…”

Section: Amino Acids and Lipids As Biomarkers For Potential Extraterrmentioning

confidence: 96%

Membrane Lipid Composition and Amino Acid Excretion Patterns of Methanothermococcus okinawensis Grown in the Presence of Inhibitors Detected in the Enceladian Plume

Taubner

Baumann

Bauersachs

et al. 2019

Life

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Lipids and amino acids are regarded as important biomarkers for the search for extraterrestrial life in the Solar System. Such biomarkers may be used to trace methanogenic life on other planets or moons in the Solar System, such as Saturn’s icy moon Enceladus. However, little is known about the environmental conditions shaping the synthesis of lipids and amino acids. Here, we present the lipid production and amino acid excretion patterns of the methanogenic archaeon Methanothermococcus okinawensis after exposing it to different multivariate concentrations of the inhibitors ammonium, formaldehyde, and methanol present in the Enceladian plume. M. okinawensis shows different patterns of lipid and amino acids excretion, depending on the amount of these inhibitors in the growth medium. While methanol did not show a significant impact on growth, lipid or amino acid production rates, ammonium and formaldehyde strongly affected these parameters. These findings are important for understanding the eco-physiology of methanogens on Earth and have implications for the use of biomarkers as possible signs of extraterrestrial life for future space missions in the Solar System.

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“…Improve habitability models. New habitability models should be developed and validated with field and laboratory experiments, including simulated extreme and planetary analog environments (e.g., Taubner et al, 2020). The main goal is to identify knowledge gaps.…”

Section: Recommendations For Astrobiologymentioning

confidence: 99%

Habitability Models for Astrobiology

et al. 2021

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Experimental and Simulation Efforts in the Astrobiological Exploration of Exooceans

Cited by 30 publications

References 264 publications

Effects of Heavy Ion Particle Irradiation on Spore Germination of Bacillus spp. from Extremely Hot and Cold Environments

Effects of Heavy Ion Particle Irradiation on Spore Germination of Bacillus spp. from Extremely Hot and Cold Environments

Membrane Lipid Composition and Amino Acid Excretion Patterns of Methanothermococcus okinawensis Grown in the Presence of Inhibitors Detected in the Enceladian Plume

Habitability Models for Astrobiology

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