EGU25-11122, updated on 15 Mar 2025
https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-11122
EGU General Assembly 2025
© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Impact of extreme Martian environmental conditions on the limits of life and detection of biosignatures
Rosa de la Torre Noetzel
Rosa de la Torre Noetzel
  • INTA, National Center for Aerospace Research, Earth Observation and Space Science, Torrejón de Ardoz, Spain (torrenr@inta.es)

The possibility of life on Mars is a subject of interest in astrobiology due to the planet's proximity and similarities to Earth. Mars may thus hold the best record of the prebiotic conditions leading to life, even if life does not or has never existed there. Following the confirmation of the past existence of surface liquid water, the CuriosityPerseverance and Opportunity rovers started searching for evidence of past life. A significant portion of astrobiology studies focus on analyzing the (micro)biology of analog sites across the globe, as well as detecting evidence for the presence of life in such locations. These studies are essential for an increased understanding of the limits of life, biodiversity, resilience and adaptation of microorganisms being exposed to multiple extremes of relevance for Astrobiology, as well as long term viability of cells and their signatures under Mars-like settings [1]. Therefore search for evidence of habitability, taphonomy (related to fossils), and organic compounds on Mars is now a primary objective for space agencies. To support the scientific output of these missions and to go further on the search of life on Mars, Martian environmental investigations are necessary to study the survival potential and the short- and long-term stability of biosignatures, at space missions and at ground simulation beds, with extremophile organisms. We have selected at different Mars analog areas in Spain, volcanic-, clayey soils-, and gypsum areas, different lichen species. These samples were exposed to Mars-like environmental parameters, as there are Mars-like UV-Radiation, Mars composition of 95% CO2 and Mars-like pressure of 8-10 mB, at DLR [2], INTA-CAB [1], and on the EXPOSE facility, at the International Space Station [3, 4]. To study the vitality of the samples, we analyzed the metabolic activity, the metabolites, as well as the biomolecular changes before and after exposure. Ultrastructure- and morphological changes were analyzed by microscopic techniques. For the identification of biomarkers we used RAMAN spectroscopy. These studies are relevant as contribution for an urgent need to create a database of reference biosignatures, an European “biosignature data base”, and for analogue environments for future space exploration programs whose objective is the search for extraterrestrial life.

References  

[1] Antunes, A., Lau Vetter, M., Flannery, D., Li, Y. (2023). Editorial: Mars analogs: Environment, habitability and biodiversity. Front. Astron. Space Sci., Sec. Astrobiology 10 – 2023: Doi.org/; 10.3389/fspas.2023.1208367

[2] de Vera, J.-P., Schulze-Makuch, D., Khan, A., Lorek, A., Koncz, A., Möhlmann, D. and Spohn, T. (2014). Adaptation of an Antarctic lichen to Martian niche conditions can occur within 34 days. Planetary and Space Science 98, 182-190. DOI: 10.1016/j.pss.2013.07.014

[3] De la Torre, R., Ortega-García, M.V., Miller, A.Z., and de Vera, J.P. (2020). Lichen Vitality After a Space Flight on Board the EXPOSE-R2 Facility Outside the International Space Station: Results of the Biology and Mars Experiment. Astrobiology 20-5:583-600. DOI: 10.1089/ast.2018.1959.

[4] Baqué, M., Backhaus, T., Meeßen, J., and de Vera, J.P. (2022). Biosignature stability in space enables

their use for life detection on Mars. Science Advances, 8 (36), eabn7412 (1-12). DOI:

10.1126/sciadv.abn7412

How to cite: de la Torre Noetzel, R.: Impact of extreme Martian environmental conditions on the limits of life and detection of biosignatures, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-11122, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-11122, 2025.