Periodic Reporting for period 1 - BIOMAMA (Biogenicity of Martian Materials: critical assessment of biosignatures based on chemolithoautotrophic interactions)
Période du rapport: 2022-05-01 au 2023-10-31
The search for biologically driven alterations on Mars and its potential as habitat for past or present life is a primary aim of the ongoing and upcoming Mars exploration missions. While a range of environments that would have been well suited to support a potential chemolithotrophy on Mars have been proposed, our understanding of putative biosignatures to be targeted in Martian materials is still illusory. A valuable source of information can be extracted from microbial fingerprints of chemolithotrophic life based on Martian materials (e.g. Martian meteorites, regolith simulants). The project BIOMAMA investigates Mars-relevant biosignatures of microbial chemolithotrophic life based on Martian genuine meteorites. Chemolithotrophic microorganisms employ an astonishing number of metabolic pathways to extract energy from diverse inorganic electron donors/acceptors, shaping global biogeochemical cycles. We perform the bottom-up exploration of mineral-microbial interactions for different chemolithotrophs cultivated on Martian mineral materials as the sole energy sources. The project explores unique microbial interactions with extraterrestrial materials down to the nanoscale and atomic resolution utilizing a comprehensive toolbox of cutting-edge techniques. We identify preservable biomarkers/biosignatures of chemolithotrophic life on Martian materials after the exposure to simulated Martian conditions at low Earth orbit and ground-based facilities. The project aims to decipher Mars-relevant mineral and metabolic biosignatures.
Currently the route to understanding our biological heritage is by no means clear-cut or straightforward. Nevertheless, defining the biogeochemical patterns/processes through which life can exists beyond Earth would undoubtedly have a significant and lasting impact upon society in general. “Is our Earth the only hotbed of life in the Universe and how to find this out?”- mankind reflections inherent to this question have been raised and discussed on various levels within many centuries. Assessing the biogenicity based on Martian materials (the priority of BIOMAMA project) is a critical analytical step on this way. The project results will provide scientific knowledge for the detection of biosignatures implementing in life search missions. Such investigations may deliver a guiding point for in-situ measurements to analyze collected Mars samples. By furthering our knowledge of the life based on Martian materials, investigation of meteorite-microbial interactions is directly relevant to defining the habitability of extraterrestrial environments, planetary protection and space crew health protection issues. The project will promote wider social implications of discovering of life across the Universe. Fundamentally this would necessitate addressing the ethical, scientific and religious challenges ahead of us. Scientifically, understanding how biological life can exist beyond Earth and which stable and detectable traces it leaves would have great significance for environmental affairs.
Currently the route to understanding our biological heritage is by no means clear-cut or straightforward. Nevertheless, defining the biogeochemical patterns/processes through which life can exists beyond Earth would undoubtedly have a significant and lasting impact upon society in general. “Is our Earth the only hotbed of life in the Universe and how to find this out?”- mankind reflections inherent to this question have been raised and discussed on various levels within many centuries. Assessing the biogenicity based on Martian materials (the priority of BIOMAMA project) is a critical analytical step on this way. The project results will provide scientific knowledge for the detection of biosignatures implementing in life search missions. Such investigations may deliver a guiding point for in-situ measurements to analyze collected Mars samples. By furthering our knowledge of the life based on Martian materials, investigation of meteorite-microbial interactions is directly relevant to defining the habitability of extraterrestrial environments, planetary protection and space crew health protection issues. The project will promote wider social implications of discovering of life across the Universe. Fundamentally this would necessitate addressing the ethical, scientific and religious challenges ahead of us. Scientifically, understanding how biological life can exist beyond Earth and which stable and detectable traces it leaves would have great significance for environmental affairs.
During this period, fermentation facilities for growing microorganisms supplemented with rocks and gasses have already been launched as an integral and core part of the project. The rare Martian meteoritic material as an essential and crucial project component has already been acquired and purchased. A number of regular meetings and discussions were held with project partners. A workshop dedicated to Mars biosignatures and the start of the BIOMAMA project was organised in spring 2023 (Montbazon - Chateau D’Artigny, France) with seminars given by invited leading astrobiologists and project partners.
This period of time was devoted to searching, selecting and hiring BIOMAMA project team members. As the result, the core of BIOMAMA team has already been accomplished (PI, 2 PhD students, 2 Postdocs, 1 administrative and research assistant, several planned Master students). Project’s results obtained within the first reporting period (M1-M18) have been intensively presented at several European and world wide conferences as talks and posters (European EGU, EANA astrobiological network, American AGU and AbSciCon astrobiological sessions).
1 paper has been published in a peer-reviewed journal, several other manuscripts are in review and under the submission.
Potential of chemolithotrophic thermophilic life and its preservation in cold Mars environment has been highlighted in our recently published paper (Milojevic et al., 2022). This published work has expanded our understanding of how and through what molecular and physiological mechanisms rock-processing thermophiles can survive in Mars psychrobiotic environments, which is essential in aiding the search for past, or extant life, on other planets, such as Mars.
Most importantly, the microbial-martian meteorite samples have already been exposed to Mars-like conditions outside the International Space Station (ISS). The work on the preservation of Mars-relevant biosignatures in these ISS returned samples is currently in progress in our project team.
This period of time was devoted to searching, selecting and hiring BIOMAMA project team members. As the result, the core of BIOMAMA team has already been accomplished (PI, 2 PhD students, 2 Postdocs, 1 administrative and research assistant, several planned Master students). Project’s results obtained within the first reporting period (M1-M18) have been intensively presented at several European and world wide conferences as talks and posters (European EGU, EANA astrobiological network, American AGU and AbSciCon astrobiological sessions).
1 paper has been published in a peer-reviewed journal, several other manuscripts are in review and under the submission.
Potential of chemolithotrophic thermophilic life and its preservation in cold Mars environment has been highlighted in our recently published paper (Milojevic et al., 2022). This published work has expanded our understanding of how and through what molecular and physiological mechanisms rock-processing thermophiles can survive in Mars psychrobiotic environments, which is essential in aiding the search for past, or extant life, on other planets, such as Mars.
Most importantly, the microbial-martian meteorite samples have already been exposed to Mars-like conditions outside the International Space Station (ISS). The work on the preservation of Mars-relevant biosignatures in these ISS returned samples is currently in progress in our project team.
The extensive knowledge gained from BIOMAMA project will help to understand and critically interpret the results of ongoing and future Mars exploration missions (Mars 2020, ExoMars). Our investigations will lay the foundation for efficient nanoanalytical spectroscopy of returned Mars samples to critically assess their potential biogenicity.