Exobiology of the Venusian Clouds: New Insights into Habitability through Terrestrial Models and Methods of Detection | Sciact - CRIS-system of Boreskov Institute of Catalysis

Exobiology of the Venusian Clouds: New Insights into Habitability through Terrestrial Models and Methods of Detection Review

Journal

Astrobiology
ISSN: 1531-1074 , E-ISSN: 1557-8070

Output data

Year: 2021, Volume: 21, Number: 10, Pages: 1186-1205 Pages count : 20 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2020.2296

Tags

Venus; Habitability; Astrobiology; Clouds; Terrestrial models; Polyextremophiles

Authors

Kotsyurbenko Oleg R. ¹ , Cordova Jaime A. ² , Belov Andrey A. ³ , Cheptsov Vladimir S. ^3,4 , Kölbl Denise ⁵ , Khrunyk Yuliya Y. ^6,7 , Kryuchkova Margarita O. ³ , Milojevic Tetyana ⁵ , Mogul Rakesh ⁸ , Sasaki Satoshi ⁹ , Słowik Grzegorz P. ¹⁰ , Snytnikov Valery ^11,12 , Vorobyova Elena A. ³

Affiliations

1	Yugra State University, The Institute of Oil and Gas, School of Ecology, 16, Chekhova str., Khanty-Mansiysk 628012, Russian Federation
2	Laboratory of Genetics, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
3	Moscow State University, Faculty of Soil Science, Moscow, Russian Federation
4	Space Research Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russian Federation
5	Space Biochemistry Group, Department of Biophysical Chemistry, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
6	Department of Heat Treatment and Physics of Metal, Ural Federal University, Ekaterinburg, Russian Federation
7	M.N. Mikheev Institute of Metal Physics of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Ekaterinburg, Russian Federation
8	Chemistry and Biochemistry Department, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, California, USA
9	School of Biosciences and Biotechnology/School of Health Sciences, Tokyo University of Technology, Hachioji, Tokyo, Japan
10	Institute of Materials and Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Zielona Góra, Zielona Góra, Poland
11	Boreskov Institute of Catalysis, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russian Federation
12	Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk, Russian Federation

Funding (2)

1	FWF Austrian Science Fund	V333
2	University of Wisconsin–Madison

The search for life beyond Earth has focused on Mars and the icy moons Europa and Enceladus, all of which are considered a safe haven for life due to evidence of current or past water. The surface of Venus, on the other hand, has extreme conditions that make it a nonhabitable environment to life as we know it. This is in contrast, however, to its cloud layer, which, while still an extreme environment, may prove to be a safe haven for some extreme forms of life similar to extremophiles on Earth. We consider the venusian clouds a habitable environment based on the presence of (1) a solvent for biochemical reactions, (2) appropriate physicochemical conditions, (3) available energy, and (4) biologically relevant elements. The diversity of extreme microbial ecosystems on Earth has allowed us to identify terrestrial chemolithoautotrophic microorganisms that may be analogs to putative venusian organisms. Here, we hypothesize and describe biological processes that may be performed by such organisms in the venusian clouds. To detect putative venusian organisms, we describe potential biosignature detection methods, which include metal-microbial interactions and optical methods. Finally, we describe currently available technology that can potentially be used for modeling and simulation experiments.

Kotsyurbenko O.R. , Cordova J.A. , Belov A.A. , Cheptsov V.S. , Kölbl D. , Khrunyk Y.Y. , Kryuchkova M.O. , Milojevic T. , Mogul R. , Sasaki S. , Słowik G.P. , Snytnikov V. , Vorobyova E.A.
Exobiology of the Venusian Clouds: New Insights into Habitability through Terrestrial Models and Methods of Detection
Astrobiology. 2021. V.21. N10. P.1186-1205. DOI: 10.1089/ast.2020.2296 WOS Scopus РИНЦ PMID OpenAlex

Published online:	Jul 13, 2021
Published print:	Oct 7, 2021

Web of science:	WOS:000672985200001
Scopus:	2-s2.0-85116516446
Elibrary:	47511232
PMID:	34255549
OpenAlex:	W3177664675

DB	Citing
Web of science	21
Scopus	22
Elibrary	20
OpenAlex	28