The search for life in space: terrestrial habitat characterisation of extremophiles for biological research topics

Abstract

Extremophiles are microorganisms, which are liv-ing in extreme habitats. The environmental condi-tions in these habitats are very harsh. They can be characterised by very low or high temperatures, high radiation fluxes, low water availability up to total dryness, high salinity and very low or very high pH-values. Extremophiles are specialists which colonise special niches in these extreme environments due to there adaptation capacities attained during the evolu-tion of life. Some examples of extremophiles and their potential to deal with harsh conditions as well as the characterisation of their niches in the Victoria-Land-Region of the Transantarctic Mountains, the European Alps and the Spanish Mountains “Sierra de Gredos” will be presented. Based on observations in the habitats of the global transect from temperate Alpine regions to Mediterranean mountains and Po-lar Mountain regions different strategies of colonisa-tion of the mountain features as there are, the coloni-sation of rocks, fissures, cracks, polygon forming substrates, permafrost and glaciers can be distin-guished. Data of UV B-, PAR- and IR-radiation measurements, humidity and temperature as well as the activity of microorganisms are accomplishing with more details the habitat characterisation and may give relevant information on probably niches for life on other planets as e.g. the planet Mars. These results will also form the basis of a series of new space experiments on satellites or on the Inter-national Space Station (ISS) and furthermore may lead to progress in probes- and rover-development for particular “hardly” accessible terrains.