{
  "id": 3507266,
  "title": "Could there be life in helium atmospheres on exoplanets?",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/26/could-there-be-life-in-helium-atmospheres-on-exoplanets",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-08-26T11:54:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "EarthSky",
    "slug": "earthsky",
    "url": "https://earthsky.org/space/life-in-helium-atmospheres-exoplanets-habitability/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Could life exist in helium atmospheres on exoplanets? A new study suggests that the possibility may be greater than previously thought. Scientists have largely ignored the idea because of two assumptions: helium typically escapes from rocky planets' atmospheres and Earth has little helium in its own. However, researchers at MIT and Wroclaw University decided to examine the possibility by creating helium-dominated atmospheres in the lab and testing a variety of organisms. Surprising results showed that bacteria, fungi, protozoa, microalgae, plants and animals could tolerate and survive in the helium environment, with no toxicity or barriers to metabolism, cell division, photosynthesis, nitrogen fixation or even coordinated multicellular activity. This is due to helium's chemically inert nature, which does not hinder life processes. The study also suggests that helium-dominated atmospheres could make it easier to detect biosignature gases associated with life, as they don't destroy or obscure these gases. Additionally, the low molecular weight of helium could improve the detectability of spectral features in transmission. The findings open up the possibility of including helium-dominated exoplanets among the targets in the search for extraterrestrial life, as the inertness of helium allows for stable atmospheric envelopes that could host life.",
  "summary": "Is life in helium atmospheres on exoplanets possible? A new study says that there are no barriers to life on worlds with helium-dominated atmospheres. The post Could there be life in helium atmospheres on exoplanets? first appeared on EarthSky .",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}