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Abstract:
This article provides first insights into some of the fascinating aspects of astrobiology. The central focus of this research theme is directed towards questions which have interested humans for millennia: How has life developed? Where do we come from?
Are we alone in the Universe? In order to approach these questions, astrobiology brings together a variety of disciplines such as astronomy, astrophysics, biology, biochemistry, chemistry, geology, mineralogy, and cosmology. In particular, scientists are more and more interested into the biological aspects and the interactions of (micro)-organisms with their geological environment. This interest is further fueled by numerous NASA and ESA missions to Mars that have spawned new insights into Mars as a potential
habitat for life. Earth analog environments, which are characterized by conditions that occur in other parts of our solar system in even more extreme forms play an important role for astrobiological research. Examples include habitats that are characterized by extreme dryness and/or coldness such as the Atacama Desert in Chile, liquid asphalt lakes in Trinidad or the permafrost areas in Siberia. Extremophilic microorganisms such as cyanobacteria and methanogenic archaea or higher organisms such as lichens and
bryophytes are used as model organisms to study the limits of life under simulated extreme conditions. In recent years, an active research network has been established in the Berlin-Brandenburg region that carried out joint astrobiology and habitability studies and which among other projects is currently conducting an ESA experiment onboard the International Space Station ISS.
