The research study expands the possibilities for where life might be found throughout our solar system and shows how changes in salinity may affect life in marine environments on Earth.New research led by Stanford University researchers anticipates life can continue in very salted environments, beyond the limit previously thought possible.The research study, released on December 22 in Science Advances, is based on analysis of metabolic activity in thousands of private cells discovered in salt water from commercial ponds on the coast of Southern California, where water is evaporated from seawater to collect salt. Credit: Anne DekasFinding Life FasterPrevious research studies looking for the water-activity limitation of life have actually used pure cultures to look for the point at which cell division stops, marking the endpoint of life. Even when conducted, research studies on cell division do not show when life passes away; undoubtedly, cells may be metabolically active and still very much alive, even when not replicating.So Paris and Dekas looked at microbes from al fresco salt ponds to recognize a various limit of life– the limitation of cellular activity.The research group made 3 crucial improvements to previous research study.
The research expands the possibilities for where life might be found throughout our solar system and reveals how changes in salinity may impact life in water environments on Earth.New research led by Stanford University researchers forecasts life can continue in extremely salted environments, beyond the limitation formerly thought possible.The research study, published on December 22 in Science Advances, is based on analysis of metabolic activity in thousands of specific cells found in brines from industrial ponds on the coast of Southern California, where water is evaporated from seawater to harvest salt. The results expand our understanding of the potential habitable area throughout our solar system, and of the possible effects of some earthly water habitats ending up being saltier as an outcome of dry spell and water diversion.The Search for Extraterrestrial Life”We cant look everywhere, so we have to be really intentional about where and how we try to discover life on other planets,” stated senior study author Anne Dekas, an assistant teacher of Earth system science in the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability. Credit: Anne DekasScientists interested in discovering life beyond Earth have actually long studied salty environments knowing that liquid water is necessary for life, and salt enables water to stay liquid at a broader range of temperature levels. Credit: Anne DekasFinding Life FasterPrevious studies looking for the water-activity limitation of life have utilized pure cultures to look for the point at which cell division stops, marking the endpoint of life. Even when carried out, studies on cell department do not show when life passes away; certainly, cells may be metabolically active and still very much alive, even when not replicating.So Paris and Dekas looked at microbes from open-air salt ponds to determine a various limit of life– the limitation of cellular activity.The research team made three key enhancements to previous research.