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Extremophile cyanobacteria as life supporters for Mars colonization

Objective

The curiosity and the interest of Humanity in space exploration lead to important discoveries on fundamental questions about our place in the Universe, and push forward the development of new technologies, new industries, and important international relationships. Mars is the nearest planet to Earth, has evidence of water, an element essential for life, and a geological history similar to Earth. These characteristics turn it a source of inspiration and a possible home for humans in the future. However, it is an inhospitable place and several solutions are being pursued in order to help terraform the planet. Atmospheric composition, cosmic radiation, temperature, and the lack of a protective magnetic field are just a few of the problems that Humankind needs to face prior to considering Mars colonization. However, there is a group of organisms that can be used to help solve some of the problems – Cyanobacteria. Why? Because they are simple oxygen producer organisms, with low nutritional requirements, and able to live in a wide range of extreme conditions and ecosystems. Moreover, cyanobacteria can also be used as food sources, to produce biofuels, in bioremediation, and as biofertilizers, for instance, and already proved to be good candidates for the task. MarCyan has the major goal of investigate the possible use of cyanobacteria to support Mars exploration. How? Using extremophile cyanobacteria, isolated from a Mars analog site (Rio Tinto, Spain), and submitted to Mars-like conditions in specialized Planetary Simulation Chambers. Moreover, MarCyan intends to go beyond the conventional knowledge and will use transcriptomic and metabolomic analysis to uncover the possible mechanisms that can help to explain the survival of these organisms to extreme conditions, opening the door to a more conscious choice of the best organisms to be used in Space exploration.

Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)

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Keywords

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Programme(s)

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Topic(s)

Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.

Funding Scheme

Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.

HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships

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Call for proposal

Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.

(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2022-PF-01

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Coordinator

INSTITUTO NACIONAL DE TECNICA AEROESPACIAL ESTEBAN TERRADAS
Net EU contribution

Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.

€ 165 312,96
Address
CR TORREJON AJALVIR KM 4 2
28850 TORREJON DE ARDOZ MADRID
Spain

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Region
Comunidad de Madrid Comunidad de Madrid Madrid
Activity type
Research Organisations
Links
Total cost

The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.

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