About this Research Topic
Understanding the origin of life and searching for it in the Universe require comparative studies of natural Earth-based environments that mimic relevant conditions. The Earth offers many places where physical, geomorphic or climatic conditions exhibit environmental conditions similar to other planets or moons in the Solar System. Yet hardly any place on Earth exists that is totally lifeless, however extreme that environment may seem to us. Such environments can help scientists study effects of temperature, pressure, salinity, oxygen, water and radiation extremes on their inhabitants. In addition, several physical and chemical conditions (or the lack of) allow the preservation of ancient life forms, or of biologically-produced materials – the so-called biosignatures. This field requires input from life sciences researchers, as well as planetary scientists and astronomers. The papers submitted under this topic will cover the latest research contributing towards our understanding of the habitability and biosignature preservation in these environments.
The goal of these studies is to focus on assessing the several physical and chemical conditions that allow favorable conditions to have existed or currently exist in a similar off-Earth environments to support life. Further, the submitted works would focus on studying ancient biological activity and the relevant geological, chemical and atmospheric processes that allow for its preservation over a period of time.
One of the goals is to make a listing of all analogue sites on Earth, along with detailed categorizing of their physical, chemical and climatic characteristics in identification with specific extraterrestrial environments. This may eventually be used in planning the missions to search for life elsewhere in the Solar System.
Defining the biosignatures is a difficult task whether in search for extraterrestrial life or in search for extinct/ancient life on Earth. The reviews on these separate (or similar) signatures would have been useful.
This Research Topic invites both Review and Original Research articles which address following subjects:
● Identifying extraterrestrial analogue sites and categorizing their specific environments
● Metabolic pathways in the terrestrial analogues
● Ancient Earth-based life forms and their role towards understanding the origin of life
● Field-based instrument development for life detection
● Subsurface habitability studies and limits of life
● Underwater and subglacial environments and their extraterrestrial analogues
● Surface processes and evolution-correlations with the search for life
Besides Review and Original Research articles, this Research Topic welcomes special formats of articles such as:
● Data Reports on publicly shared data sets that can be useful for benchmarking
● Brief Research Reports on preliminary studies
● Mini Reviews on the state-of-the-art in the sub-field
The goal of these studies is to focus on assessing the several physical and chemical conditions that allow favorable conditions to have existed or currently exist in a similar off-Earth environments to support life. Further, the submitted works would focus on studying ancient biological activity and the relevant geological, chemical and atmospheric processes that allow for its preservation over a period of time.
One of the goals is to make a listing of all analogue sites on Earth, along with detailed categorizing of their physical, chemical and climatic characteristics in identification with specific extraterrestrial environments. This may eventually be used in planning the missions to search for life elsewhere in the Solar System.
Defining the biosignatures is a difficult task whether in search for extraterrestrial life or in search for extinct/ancient life on Earth. The reviews on these separate (or similar) signatures would have been useful.
This Research Topic invites both Review and Original Research articles which address following subjects:
● Identifying extraterrestrial analogue sites and categorizing their specific environments
● Metabolic pathways in the terrestrial analogues
● Ancient Earth-based life forms and their role towards understanding the origin of life
● Field-based instrument development for life detection
● Subsurface habitability studies and limits of life
● Underwater and subglacial environments and their extraterrestrial analogues
● Surface processes and evolution-correlations with the search for life
Besides Review and Original Research articles, this Research Topic welcomes special formats of articles such as:
● Data Reports on publicly shared data sets that can be useful for benchmarking
● Brief Research Reports on preliminary studies
● Mini Reviews on the state-of-the-art in the sub-field
Keywords: Origin of life, Astrobiology, terrestrial analogue, extremophiles, limits of life, biosignature
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
