The fungal kingdom includes at least 6 million eukaryotic species and is remarkable with
respect to its profound impact on global health, biodiversity, ecology, agriculture …

In an era of rapid climate change and expansion of desertification, the extremely harsh
conditions of drylands are a true challenge for microbial life. Under drought conditions …

Abstract BIOMEX (BIOlogy and Mars EXperiment) is an ESA/Roscosmos space exposure
experiment housed within the exposure facility EXPOSE-R2 outside the Zvezda module on …

Many plans to establish human settlements on other planets focus on adapting crops to
growth in controlled environments. However, these settlements will also require pioneer …

Return of samples from the surface of Mars has been a goal of the international Mars
science community for many years. Affirmation by NASA and ESA of the importance of Mars …

Melanin is a ubiquitous pigment with unique physicochemical properties. The resistance of
melanized fungi to cosmic and terrestrial ionizing radiation suggests that melanin also plays …

Melanins provide fungi protection from environmental stressors, support their ecological
roles, and can confer virulence in pathogens. While the function, structure, and synthesis of …

Scientists use the Earth as a tool for astrobiology by analyzing planetary field analogues (ie
terrestrial samples and field sites that resemble planetary bodies in our Solar System). In …

The space environment is regularly used for experiments addressing astrobiology research
goals. The specific conditions prevailing in Earth orbit and beyond, notably the radiative …

Two rover missions to Mars aim to detect biomolecules as a sign of extinct or extant life with,
among other instruments, Raman spectrometers. However, there are many unknowns about …