Extremophiles as Astrobiological Models, Gebunden

Klappentext

The search for extraterrestrial life is concentrating on extremophiles because of their unusual properties; this book presents new data of microorganisms tolerating harsh living conditions which enlarge the knowledge of living beings.

The search for extraterrestrial life has been declared as a goal for the 21th century by NASA, ESA and other space agencies. For meaningful missions, careful planning of sites to be selected and knowledge of their properties is essential. The study of extremophiles on Earth has provided already rich information about the physico-chemical limits of life; these studies need to be extended and focused on the specific technical requirements of future space missions.

The data in this book are new or updated, and will serve also as origin of life and evolutionary studies. Endospores of bacteria have a long history of use as model organisms in astrobiology, including survival in extreme environments and interplanetary transfer of life. Numerous other bacteria as well as archaea, lichens, fungi, algae and tiny animals (tardigrades, or water bears) are now being investigated for their tolerance to extreme conditions in simulated or real space environments. Experimental results from exposure studies on the International Space Station and space probes for up to 1.5 years are presented and discussed. Suggestions for extaterrestrial energy sources are also indicated.

Readers will find in this groundbreaking book:

• Novel results from the exposure of microorganisms to space conditions
• Updates on the phylogeny and suggestions for the origin of life on Earth
• Resilience of organisms to toxic chemicals and complete desiccation
• Potential extraterrestrial energy sources for microoganisms