Exploring the limits of life is one of the objectives for better understanding how organisms have
arisen on Earth, how they tolerate extreme conditions and how they might survive on other planets
or moons. These investigations could help with understanding which Earth microorganisms could
survive on other celestial bodies, such as the icy Moons: Europa (Jupiter) and Enceladus (Saturn).
Furthermore, it might help with indicating how life could have developed on Earth or on the icy
Moons of the Solar system. This project focuses on the insights from prokaryotic, eukaryotic and
archaea organisms which can tolerate the simulated subsurface ocean environment of Europa and
Enceladus. The moons have been speculated to have subsurface oceans which are heated by tidal
movements or hydrothermal vents. These combined factors could create an environment suitable for
life. Furthermore, the mechanism of radiation, desiccation and temperature survival could help us
understand whether the organisms could survive a hitchhike on spacecraft surfaces travelling to the
moons. During space exploration it is essential to avoid the contamination of planets and moons of
astrobiological interest by microorganisms from Earth. [...
