| Collaborative
Exploration of Subsurface Life |
We would like to
see the study of subsurface life further strengthened
through cross-team collaboration,
international partnership, and community involvement.
Study of subsurface life is of significant astrobiological
interest for multiple reasons. It’s interesting
in its own right. It provides model ecosystems for
studying the limits to life, the nature of non-photosynthetic
life, and life on early Earth. It provides a technical
testing ground for the search for life on other planetary
bodies in this solar system (e.g., Mars, Europa), which
must focus closely on subsurface environments.
The study of subsurface life is
the principal research focus of our NAI team. We
led the first ocean drilling
expedition dedicated to the study of subsurface life.
We’re documenting subseafloor habitability. We’re
detecting new phylogenetic lineages of deep-subsurface
prokaryotes. We’re determining categories and
rates of subseafloor prokaryotic activities. We’re
developing techniques for documenting low levels of
activity and low-biomass community composition. We’re
working with members of the Penn State and Carnegie
NAI teams, respectively, to further understanding of
subseafloor life and sublacustrine life. We’re
looking forward to working with members of other NAI
teams to explore other aspects of subsurface life.
The study of subsurface life is
an open frontier. If it is to be quickly and effectively
advanced, other
researchers with additional interests and expertise
need to be brought into it. New approaches need to
be developed for continuous monitoring of subsurface
environments and life. New techniques need to be devised
for gaining access (without contamination) to subsurface
environments on Earth and other planetary bodies. New
partnerships need to be sought for access to a greater
range of Earth’s subsurface environments.
Many of these techniques, approaches,
and partnerships can be advanced by closer cooperation
between existing
members of the NAI and its international partners.
For example, in situ monitoring of subsurface communities
could be initiated with modification of environmental
gene chip technologies that are being developed by
the Centro de Astrobiología (España)
and by NAI members. Study of continental subsurface
life could be promoted by integration of deep-biosphere
objectives into Astrobiology Drilling Program (ADP)
projects that are principally focused on recovering
records of Earth’s early history.
We encourage the NAI to take concrete steps to advance
cooperative study of subsurface life. These steps could
include: (1) development and NAI-wide distribution
of a list of technologies that are used or under development
by NAI members and NAI partners for in situ monitoring
of extreme life and environments, (2) explicit consideration
of subsurface life research in development of ADP proposals,
(3) sponsorship or co-sponsorship of a mobile laboratory
for contaminant-free sampling and analysis of subsurface
life and conditions in diverse environments (such as
continental drilling projects and expeditions to over-pressured
marine and continental boreholes), and (4) sponsorship
or co-sponsorship of a sample repository for studies
of subsurface life. Any facilities sponsored by the
NAI should be available for subsurface studies by the
entire NAI community. All of these steps could be initiated
by NAI within a year. Development of a complete mobile
laboratory and/or a fully developed repository could
be spread over multiple years.
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