Simulating Mars on Earth
By simulating conditions at and below the surface of Mars, experiments now suggest that bacterial life could exist below its sterile surface layer of soil.

Giving Life a Hand
The basic molecules of life have a predetermined 'handedness', or chiraliy, that scientists have been unable to explain. New research shows that chirality may have been induced by irradiation as the molecules traveled through space before arriving on Earth.

An Ocean on Enceladus
New data from Cassini supports the theory that Saturn's moon Enceladus has liquid water beneath its surface. Water is essential for life, and determining locations of liquid water is the first step in the search for life in our solar system.

Marco Polo and Meteorites
In this podcast, Beda Hofmann explores the links between meteorites and astrobiology, and discusses Europe's proposed Marco Polo Mission to an asteroid.

Timing Tectonics
Plate tectonics on Earth may have started much earlier than previously believed. An active Earth could have had profound implications for the origin of life.

Solar-Powered Slugs
The sea-slug, Elysia chlorotica, represents a unique step in the evolution of life. The slug appears to behave like a plant and can get energy from the sun. New research shows that the slug has genes needed for photosynthesis - but steals important cellular components from algae.

The Sweet Taste of Alien Life
Scientists have detected a basic sugar molecule directly linked to the origin of life in a star-forming region of the Milky Way galaxy where habitable planets might exist.

Hoping for Europa
NASA and ESA are now deciding on the next major mission to the outer solar system. One proposal is to visit two of Jupiter’s large moons, Ganymede and Europa. Astrobiologists have long hoped to study Europa more closely because its global ocean could harbor alien life.

Bacteria Preserve Fossils
The activity of bacteria has often been viewed as detrimental to fossils. Now, researchers have found that bacterial biofilms may help preserve fossils of embryos and soft tissues. Such fossils are incredibly valuable in studying the evolution of life.

Buried Martian Glaciers
NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has identified vast glaciers of water ice hidden beneath blankets of rocky debris on the martian surface. The glaciers are present at much lower latitudes than any ice previously found on Mars.