Endolithic colonization of fluid inclusion trails in mineral grains

Many scenarios for the colonization of planetary surfaces by microbial life involve endoliths. This study records microbial mass along fluid inclusion trails (healed microfractures) in quartz grains

Gullies on Mars: Origin by snow and ice melting and potential for life based on possible analogs from Devon Island, High Arctic

Gullies on Devon Island, High Arctic, which form by melting of transient surface ice and snow covers and offer morphologic and contextual analogs for gullies reported on Mars are reported to display enhancements in biological activity in contrast to surrounding polar desert terrain

Ultraviolet protection on a snowball Earth

Habitats in the Antarctic provide an insight into habitats available on snowball earth. Physical UV protection on snowball earth would have been dominated by the manifestations of ice and snow in different habitats. The snowball period was a golden age of UV protection

Microbial preservation in sulfates in the Haughton impact structure suggests target in search for life on Mars

Microbes occur within transparent gypsum crystals in the Haughton crater. The crystals transmit light for photosynthesis, but protect from dehydration and wind. Sulfates on the Martian surface should be a priority target in the search for life

Microbial mats of the Tswaing impact crater: results of a South African exobiology expedition and implications for the search for biological molecules on Mars

We describe microbial mats from the Tswaing impact crater in South Africa. The mats provide insights into the unique biological characteristics of impact craters and can help strategies for the search for biomolecules on Mars

Surface mineral crusts: A priority target in search for life on Mars

Mineral crusts are strong candidates in the search for evidence of life during planetary exploration, and should be an important target for examination in impact craters. Crusts in the Haughton crater readily yield a biological signature

Simple devices for concentration of microbial life: Experiments in Haughton impact structure

Simple devices that create environments with high levels of light and moisture could attract extant microbial life on a planetary surface and hence enhance the detection of it. Experience in the Haughton crater shows that this can occur readily

Advancing the case for microbial conservation

The majority of the biomass and biodiversity of life on the Earth is accounted for by microbes. They play pivotal roles in biogeochemical cycles and harbour novel metabolites that have industrial uses. For these reasons the conservation of microbial ecosystems, communities and even specific taxa should be a high priority. We review the reasons for including microorganisms in conservation agenda. We discuss some of the complications in this endeavour, including the unresolved argument about whether microorganisms have intrinsic value, which influences some of the non-instrumental motivations for their conservation and, from a more pragmatic perspective, exactly what it is that we seek to conserve (microorganisms, their habitats or their gene pools). Despite complications, priorities can be defined for microbial conservation and we provide practical examples of such priorities