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…