My Bacteria Teacher

In this public lecture, Dr. Miguel Angel Fernandez from the McGill Space Institute introduces astrobiology and discusses how studying extreme microorganisms on Earth can inform the search for life elsewhere in the solar system. He begins by defining astrobiology and life, referencing NASA’s definition of life as a self-sustaining chemical system capable of Darwinian evolution. He highlights the recent discovery of ethanolamine, a key component of cell membranes, in the interstellar medium and meteorites, suggesting that essential building blocks for life may be widespread. He then explains the concept of habitability, emphasizing that habitable environments require six elements (CHNOPS), an energy source, and liquid water. He distinguishes between habitable and inhabited, noting that NASA’s Mars rovers are searching for signs of past habitability and biosignatures. The talk focuses on terrestrial analogs, particularly environments in Antarctica and the Canadian High Arctic that resemble Mars or icy moons like Europa. He describes endolithic microorganisms in Antarctic dry valleys that survive by living inside rocks, protected from UV radiation and cold. He also discusses a Mars simulation chamber used to test the survival of these microbes under Martian conditions. Finally, he presents a spring in the Canadian Arctic, Lost Hammer, which is a potential analog for early Mars and Europa, where microbial communities thrive in cold, salty, methane-rich water. The lecture concludes with the idea that these extreme environments on Earth can teach us where and how to look for life beyond our planet.