Earth microbes survive simulated conditions of Saturn moon’s ocean
Experiment suggests organisms could live in harsh environment under Enceladus’s icy crust, strengthening possibility moon could support life From the moment scientists spotted plumes of water erupting from Enceladus, one of Saturn’s moons, it became the most tantalising place in the solar system to search for life beyond Earth. Now the case is even more compelling after researchers found that…
Research suggests microbes from deep-sea vents off Japan could survive in harsh conditions of Enceladus's ocean. Enceladus, one of Saturn's moons, has attracted intense interest as a potential place to search for extraterrestrial life due to plumes of water erupting from its icy crust. Scientists recreated Enceladus's extreme and alkaline ocean conditions in a lab, and Earthly methanogens, microbes that convert hydrogen and carbon dioxide to methane, thrived.
These findings, published in Science Advances, suggest that if life ever evolved on Enceladus, it could be radically different from Earth's life. However, the researchers note that proof of methanogenesis in the simulated ocean doesn't guarantee the survival of similar microbes for significant periods. The European Space Agency's upcoming mission to Enceladus could provide more definitive evidence of the moon's habitability.
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