Defining Aqueous Habitable Conditions in the Universe

Among science questions, 'is life unique to our planet?' is one of the most fundamental and is for that reason part of STFC's science priorities. It cuts across astronomy and planetary sciences, yet answering it also requires that biological disciplines be brought to bear on the question under the remit of astrobiology. The mere presence of habitable conditions does not imply the presence of life, but a first step in identifying plausible locations for life is to find conditions that are habitable (i.e. conditions that will support the activity of at least one known organism). The search for habitable conditions is necessary bounded by what we know about life on Earth.

Fundamental to the search for habitable conditions and the possibility of life are the questions 'What makes an environment habitable?' and 'How do extraterrestrial conditions influence habitable conditions?'. This grant proposal offers themes that cover each of these questions, building on existing strengths in the University of Edinburgh.

In this grant we plan to carry out research aimed at understanding the fundamental parameters that influence habitability. Building on our previous research we will continue in this proposal to determine the general principles by which habitability is shaped in the Universe (Themes 1) and how space conditions effect the growth and behaviour of microorganisms (Theme 2) using orbital facilities. If habitable conditions are found on other bodies, such as Mars or icy moons we want to understand the extent to radiation may play a role in its evolution using the UK's unique subsurface astrobiology and science capabilities that are currently supported by STFC (Theme 3). As part of this encompassing grant we also plan to continue to develop simulation facilities for planetary science and astronomy, building on our existing facilities.

The work will significantly advance our understanding of the conditions required for habitability by providing us with better knowledge about the places most likely to harbour habitable conditions and how abundant they might be.

Our work is of high urgency and topical importance since it provides the underpinnings of interpreting data coming back from space and planetary missions, developing new capabilities for planetary science and science in orbit, which is becoming of immediate priority and advancing our general understanding of the extent to which life on Earth provides us with a data point to understand the prevalence of habitable conditions in the Universe, a topic of great international interest.

Our work builds on five years of science, technology development and public outreach at the University of Edinburgh within the UK Centre for Astrobiology and we seek to continue this work through this grant proposal, building on our strengths to address new science questions linked to STFC science and developing new facilities and capabilities for the study of environments beyond the Earth.

Our work has spin-offs into public outreach, education and practical societal benefits for which we have identified specific projects and contributions. They including using astrobiology to enrich and advance science education in the prison environment (Life Beyond) and improving the education of interdisciplinary science in schools across the UK by teacher training at primary and secondary school level.

The grant members will ensure the impact of the work to the wider public and industry by a number of approaches. Here we summarise the main activities that we plan to link to the grant for its duration. The impact activities cover outreach and commercial exploitation.

Astrobiology Summer Academy (ASA): The UK Centre for Astrobiology's Astrobiology Summer Academy (www.astrobiologyacademy.org) enters its fifth year in 2017. The summer academy was set up with the objective of using astrobiology as a vehicle for teaching science in primary and secondary schools in the UK by producing curriculum materials. Each year 20 teachers or trainee teachers from across the UK come to Edinburgh to work on curriculum materials and lesson plans for primary and secondary schools. The lesson plans are made available from the Astrobiology in the Classroom Resource, a set of lesson plans that can be downloaded by teachers. Beginning in 2017, we have also begun one day CPD events for teachers and newly qualified teachers (NQTs) in collaboration with the National Space Centre in Leicester (National Space Academy). The PDRAs in this grant will play an active role in working with our annual CPD events.

Life Beyond: In 2016 we began a new programme called Life Beyond. The purpose of the programme is to take astrobiology into the prison environment. Life Beyond is a collaboration with the Scottish Prison Service (SPS). Each visit involves a 50 minute interactive lecture on astrobiology and planetary sciences, followed by a break and then a one hour inmate-led discussion on how to establish a station on the Moon or Mars. In this way, the inmates get to take part in a discussion on space exploration and think about what it would take to build a cohesive self-sustaining group of people on another planetary body. In 2017 it will transition into a four week astrobiology course to be offered to prisons and by summer 2017 we and the SPS are hopeful that it will be incorporated into the prison curriculum. The programme has relevance to our STFC grant since the research undertaken in the grant can be used in the programme to bring to life real research among inmates. Furthermore, the programme offers the PDRAs the opportunity to take part in the education of the incarcerated and the disenfranchised in our society.

Technology development: At Edinburgh, we have developed a substantial expertise and facilities for planetary simulation. In particular, we have developed unique facilities for the study of extraterrestrial aqueous environments. Over the last two years, these facilities have been used by PDRAs and staff members from external institutions including the University of St Andrews and Portland University, Oregon, USA. The facilities are used by both BSc Honours students and Masters students at the University of Edinburgh for projects and research, thus contributing to the Physics and Astronomy degree programmes. In this grant we will continue to make them available to universities and other institutions to advance astrobiology research and teaching.

Instrument Impact: Our proposed research has impacts in a number of new areas. Our work on biofilms in space provides pure research knowledge that informs the development of space hardware development. Our research informs science related to instruments being developed for planetary missions. For example, our study of aqueous environments informs the interpretation of data sent back by the HABIT instrument on the ExoMars 2020 surface lander. The study of Martian mudrocks and their biosignatures, informs our membership of the Science Team of CLUPI, the Close-Up Imager for the ExoMars2020 rover. We stress this grant is not to be used to fund or support involvement in these instruments as they fall in the domain of the UK Space Agency, but the work carried out will inform our knowledge which justifies and increases the efficacy of our scientific contributions to planetary missions.