experiment biofobos in the context of current tasks of astrobiology _____________________
DESCRIPTION
2 M_S3 MOONS OF PLANETS Moscow 2011 - IKI RAS. EXPERIMENT BIOFOBOS IN THE CONTEXT OF CURRENT TASKS OF ASTROBIOLOGY _____________________. E.A. Vorobyova 1,3 , A.K. Pavlov 2 , V.S. Soina 3 , M.A. Vdovina 2 , and В . Н . Lomasov 2 - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
EXPERIMENT BIOFOBOS IN THE CONTEXT OF CURRENT TASKS OF
ASTROBIOLOGY_____________________
E.A. Vorobyova1,3, A.K. Pavlov2, V.S. Soina3, M.A. Vdovina2, and В.Н. Lomasov2
1IKI RAS, 2Phys.-Techn. Inst. RAS, 3Lomonosov Moscow State University
2 M_S3 MOONS OF PLANETSMoscow 2011 - IKI RAS
Two fundamental questions define an essence and main tasks of astrobiology:
• 1. How did life originate on the Earth?
• 2. Is there life beyond the Earth?
geocentric approach
• “It seems likely that the basic building blocks of life anywhere will be similar to our own, in the generality if not in the detail” (Pace,
2001). The biochemical system used by
life on Earth is the optimal one and therefore evolution will cause life everywhere to adopt this same biochemical system.
• If it is true, the first task of astrobiology is to assess the potential of extraterrestrial environments as well as deep space in terms of maintaining known principles of life to predict the possible extraterrestrial pathways of evolution.
• terrestrial analogs• space experiments on LEO HIGH SURVIVING AND
STABILITY OF CELLS• genetically determined mechanisms
of cells’ transition into the resting state
• interaction of microbial cells with geological substrates
• mechanisms of cell resuscitation
TEM in situ:Undamaged cell walls, nucleoids and cytoplasmMost of the intact cells are represented by small forms (o.2-0.5 µm in diam).Both single cells or in conglomerates inside extracellular matrix
TEM- cells frozen at -90C - no damage by
ice crystals
TEM- cells preserved in nutrient medium with 8% NaCl look as dormant forms like cysts with thick capsules
0.1 µm
0.1 µm
decreasing of water contentspecific fine structurealtered composition of biologically
important elements
-20
0
20
40
60
80
100
time, min
O2 uptake, nmol O
5 10 15
1
2
Dormancy:undetectable
metabolic activityreduced size
To know life limits in space it is Important to go outside geomagnetosphere
The Phobos Sample Return project
demonstrates how multi-purpose space
mission outside Earth
magnetosphere could be cheaply
and effectively used for astrobiological
tasks
Transpermia (panspermia) hypothesis allows to create different theoretical models:
1. Interplanetary exchange by the original living matter
2. Idea of “archetypical” viability of the Solar System bodies (rocky planets, moons of planets, meteorites, and comets).
Assuming the possibility of forming biospheres by planets or moons, we could represent the Solar System as a set of "resting" or "active" living systems.
asteroid Fobos apparently represents primary substance of Solar System. It seems to be carbon chondrite or a mix of minerals like sea lunar ground.
Fundamental and practical questions :- Interplanetary Transpermia (Panspermia) of viable cells included in small space bodies or in space dust
Updating of quarantine potocol
- correct transportation of extraterrestrial samples to the Earth for the subsequent analyses Estimation of possibility of interplanetary transportation of a viable terrestrial ground for the terraforming purposes
B I O PH O B O S
Requirements to the characteristics of the sample:
Putative extraterrestrial ecosystems:- low sunlight- low organic matter content- low oxygen- CO2, CH4, H2- low temperature-Source of energy: redox reactions, oxidative reactions-Electron donors: inorganic (organic)compounds
CHEMOLITHOAUTOTROPHES
Chemolithogeterotrophes
Earth ecosystems:
1. Biodiversity2. High total cell
numbers3. High viability of cells
GPS: 30°48'52N, 34°45'26E
AVDAT
ARID SOIL
Negev Desert Plateau in proximity to the town of Mitzpe Ramon (GPS: 30°48'52N, 34°45'26E)
Principal scheme of the projectLIFE (10X3) samples
ANABIOSIS (60 samples)
SOIL SAMPL
E
ISOLATES Immobilization on clay
34 Months
Anabios Phobos-capsules
LIFE
Placement in PhSRM Return Capsule
MICROORGANISMSARCHAE: ChemolithoautotrophesPROCARYOTA: Chemophotoautotrophes
(Rhodobacteraceae, Cyanobacteria); Chemolithogeterotrophes (Eubacteria, Proteobacteria) Gr(-), Gr(+)
EUCARYA: Yeasts, FungiANIMALSPLANTS
Methanogenic archaeon from anoxic lake sediments Methanosarcina lacustris
Ferroplasma acidiphilum
Cell wall-less archaeon, pH growth optimum 1.7, autotroph
Work program
Control studies of biological samples
Lab control (20 C, - 18 C, -80 C)
Model experiments on the effects of radiation and vacuum - Experiments in
simulating chambers(soil, isolates)
MARS ORBITAL
EXPERIMENT
Exposing experiments
Analyses
1
2
20 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6
-6
-5
-4
-3
-2
-1
0
1
Dose, Mrad
0.05
1 2 3 40
2
4
6
8
10
12
CFU/g _ gamma (1G) + vacuum + t
1 - contr; 2 - (+50 C); 3 - (0 C); 4 - (-50 C)
N/g x 10^8
0 0.01 0.02 0.03 0.04 0.05 0.06 0.07 0.08 0.0900000000000001 0.1 0.11
-1.2
-1
-0.8
-0.6
-0.4
-0.2
0
Dose , Mrad
0,01 0,05 0,1
-1
-2
FROZEN
The dose was absorbed by the sample in a vacuum at a certain temperature in a few minutes
• astrobiological experiments require further studies with varying orbits and conditions, increasing time of exposure of living organisms in space.
• The experimental areas requiring development include: understanding the effects of space radiation on microbes and their interactions with rocks; more experiments exposing microbes to space to try and understand how specific or combined stressors in space influence cells and microbe-mineral interactions; experiments on modified environments and atmospheric compositions in planetary simulation facilities; development of micro-arrays and other bioinformatic tools/techniques for studying microbes and their responses to space conditions;terrestrial testing instruments for potential application to extraterrestrial environments.
We look forward to a successful launch in November
To be continued…