2022 – 2023

The EAI ACADEMY is an international educational program organised and broadcasted by the Centro de Astrobiología (CAB, CSIC-INTA), Madrid, with the support of the European Astrobiology Institute. It provides a framework to meet online with the European astrobiology community and to acquire interdisciplinary knowledge through a series of seminars given by experts in these fields.

In its first edition in the 2021-2022 academic year, the Academy offered 16 online seminars. These online events turned out to be very popular: the program had 350 subscriptors and each seminar had between 200 and 80 attendees from 32 countries and all continents.

The successful program has been relaunched in October for the 2022-2023 academic year. The talks will be given by world-renowned experts, who answer the questions raised by the public after their talk. The seminars are offered for free and are streamed online via zoom every two weeks on Wednesday from 3:00 to 4:00 PM CET (Madrid time). All seminars will be recorded and available in the CAB youtube channel.

At the end of the academic year, CAB awards a certificate of participation to those who attend a minimum of 10 seminars. In order for us to keep track of attendance, you will need to enter your name and affiliation in the seminar chat when you enter the room (Zoom).

Please note that we will stop admitting people to the seminar 10 minutes after it starts.

Registration is now closed.

LIST OF SPEAKERS AND TOPICS

Dr. Petra Schwendner
University of Florida (USA)

Extreme environments on Earth
October 5th, 2022

Under too little pressure - Hypopiezotolerant microorganisms as potential model organisms in Astrobiology

A broad spectrum of extreme environments can be found on Earth and they are mostly inhabited by microorganisms called extremophiles. I will briefly discuss the different extremes and their inhabitants with a focus on low pressure. Despite the fact that there are no natural low pressure ecological niches on Earth, bacteria have been identified that can grow at pressures as low as 7 hPa equivalent to the surface atmosphere of Mars and are defined as hypopiezotolerants. Studying these extremophiles and their adaptations to those extremes might help us understand the limits of life on Earth but also the potential of other worlds to support life. Based on recent data, Mars is representing an example to contemplate the occurrence of microbial life other than Earth. Low atmospheric pressure is one of the most prominent environmental stresses that life on Mars would have to cope with. I will present the current knowledge on hypopiezotolerant microorganisms, methods for isolation, cultivation, and discuss their importance for astrobiology.
Link to video

Dr. Kristina Beblo-Vranesevic
DLR Cologne (Germany)

Extreme environments on Earth
November 2nd, 2022

Microbial life in extreme and dry environments on Earth

Astrobiology deals with life under extreme conditions on Earth and draws conclusions as to whether this could also be the case on other celestial bodies. The talk focuses on extremophilic microorganisms found in dry areas on Earth and how these organisms are adapted not only to the low availability of water, but also to increased radiation exposure. Finally, it will be considered whether these adaptation mechanisms could also apply to possible past or present life on other planets, such as Mars.
Link to video

Dr. Kai Finster
Aarhus University (Denmark)

Lab simulations of planet and  satellite atmospheres
November 16th, 2022

Effect of saltation and abraded silicates on the survival of bacteria and as a sink of methane and carbon dioxide

The Martian surface is a hostile environment for life, as it is characterized by low water availability, low atmospheric pressure and high UV and ionizing radiation. Furthermore, the hostile surface conditions are amplified by processes as wind-driven saltation that leads to abrasion of silicates with a production or reactive surface sites and triboelectric charging, a release of electrical discharges with a concomitant production of reactive oxygen species. In this study, we have investigated the effect of exposure of bacteria to wind-abraded silicates and direct exposure to wind-driven saltation on Mars on their viability in controlled laboratory simulation experiments. In addition, we have studied the interaction between saltating minerals and methane and carbon dioxide, to investigate if this interactions could affect their chemistry.
Link to video

Dr. María-Paz Zorzano
CAB (Spain)

Lab simulations of planet and  satellite atmospheres
November 30th, 2022

The near surface environment of Mars: observations, laboratory simulations and Mars sample return

The near surface of Mars is the region where the planetary surface interacts with the atmosphere. Its influence extends, in the atmosphere, to the planetary boundary layer and, within the rock, down to a couple of meters. In this talk, we will review the environmental conditions in this region: temperature, pressure, incident radiation, and the water cycle. We will also discuss how the surface conditions influence the definition of "special regions" on Mars and what impact these conditions have on life. Finally, we will review the design of in situ resource utilization methods adapted to this environment, and we will discuss what are the implications of the current environment on the samples that Perseverance is currently sealing, to be returned to Earth within 10 years.
Link to video

Dr. Felipe Gómez
CAB (Spain)​

Extreme environments on Earth
December 14th, 2022

Acidophiles: low pH lovers. The Rio Tinto case and the Mars connection

There are certain terrestrial analogs with mineralogical similarities with some areas of Mars, as is the case of the Tinto river in southern Spain. Although ancient Mars was not proposed to be an acidic environment, there are some scientific results that indicate that there must have been alteration and weathering with acidic results. In the talk we will review these conditions, as well as the acid analogue of the Tinto River focusing on the biodiversity of this site.
Link to video

Dr. Christiane Helling
IWF (Austria)

Lab simulations of planet and  satellite atmospheres
January 11th, 2023

Virtual laboratories for understanding weather and climate regimes of extrasolar planets

More than 5000 extra-solar planets have been detected. These planets may orbit their non-solar host star very closely or at very large distances. The resulting differences in radiation input determines the dynamics as well as the chemical composition of the atmospheres of such extrasolar planets. Virtual laboratories enable us to study such complex systems in order to predict characteristic climate and weather regimes that may be observable with JWST, CHEOPS and other telescopes. This lecture will discuss the different weather and climate regimes that we expect for extrasolar gas-giants.
One important question is in how far observed spectroscopic fingerprints of exoplanet atmospheres will enable us to understand the formation and the evolution of extrasolar planets. One important obstacle for determining the chemical composition of an atmosphere from these spectroscopic fingerprints are clouds since they block our view into an atmosphere. The lecture will discuss the chemical diversity of clouds in extrasolar planets which may invite further studies of aerial biospheres.
Link to video

Dr. Luca Fossati
IWF (Austria)

Missions to explore exoplanets
January 25th, 2023

The CHEOPS mission

To date, we know of more than 5000 extrasolar planets, i.e. planets that orbit stars other than the Sun. The majority of the measuring instruments built so far have focused on the search for new extrasolar planets. In the meantime, work has begun on characterising these planets. This is precisely the task being tackled by a project of eleven European countries under the joint leadership of Switzerland and the European Space Agency ESA: CHEOPS (Characterising Exoplanet Satellite). What is special about CHEOPS is that the satellite measures the radius of planets whose mass is already known. The density can then be calculated from size and mass. This in turn provides information about the composition of the otherwise invisible extrasolar planet. Following a short introduction on extrasolar planets, I will give details about the CHEOPS mission, present some of the key results obtained thus far, and explain how CHEOPS deepens our knowledge about the formation and evolution of planets.
Link to video

Dr. Miguel Mas-Hesse
CAB (Spain)

Missions to explore exoplanets
February 8th, 2023

The ESA PLATO Mission

PLATO (PLAnetary Transits and Oscillations of stars) is ESA’s M3 mission, designed to detect and characterize extrasolar planets by high-precision, long-term photometric and asteroseismic monitoring of a large number of stars. PLATO will detect small planets around bright stars, including terrestrial planets in the habitable zone of solar-like stars. With the complement of radial velocity observation from ground, planets will be characterized for their radius, mass, and age with high accuracy. PLATO will provide us the first large-scale catalogue of well-characterized small planets up to intermediate orbital periods, relevant for a meaningful comparison to planet formation theories. It will make possible comparative exoplanetology to place our solar system planets in a broader context. PLATO will study the host stars using asteroseismology, allowing us to determine the stellar properties with high accuracy, substantially enhancing our knowledge of stellar structure and evolution.
PLATO is scheduled for a launch date end 2026. Following the successful Critical Milestone Review, ESA has given green light for the implementation of the spacecraft and the payload, which includes the serial production of its 26 cameras. This talk will present an overview of the PLATO science goals, of its instrument and mission profile status, and of its expected performances.
Link to video

Dr. Adrienne Kish
MNHN Paris (France)

Extreme environments on Earth
February 22nd, 2023

Life with a pinch of salt

Salts are both necessary and severely limit life as we know it. On Earth, saturated brines are considered extreme environments as such conditions can damage key biomolecules and processes. However, terrestrial brines also host diverse microbial life. Certain salts can even protect microbial cells from ionizing radiation; a condition prevalent elsewhere in the solar system. Saline environments have been found to exist or to have existed in the past on many of the planetary bodies in our solar system. An understanding of how microorganisms interact with salts is key to our exploration of the limits of life on Earth and its potential elsewhere in the solar system. In this seminar, we will focus on evaporites (in particular halite - NaCl) as targets for studying the preservation of both microorganisms and their cellular remains on Earth and in space with implications for future space missions.
Link to video

Dr. Christa Schleper
University of Vienna (Austria)

Extreme environments on Earth
March 15th, 2023

Extremely thermophilic microorganisms and the origin of life

Hot environments on earth are numerous and diverse and they are inhabited by many bacteria and archaea. This lecture will cover the nature of such habitats and the metabolisms and adaptive features of their inhabitants, i.e. extremely thermophilic and hyperthermophilic microorganisms. We will also discuss the upper temperature limits and diverging opinions about a putative origin of life at high temperature.
Link to video

Dr. Karen Olsson-Francis
The Open University (UK)

Extreme environments on Earth
March 22nd, 2023

Searching for Evidence of Life: From Earth Analogue Field Sites to Laboratory Simulations

Evidence indicates that Mars harboured fluvial-lacustrine environments that may have been habitable for life. On Earth, microbial communities isolated from analogue sites can be used to study this putative habitability. By utilising these microorganisms in laboratory-controlled experiments it is possible to study habitability and the formation of biosignatures, which can be used as evidence of life. In this seminar, we discuss the rationale for utilising this approach and its implications for future missions.
Link to video

Dr. Theresa Lueftinger
ESA/ESAC (The Netherlands)

Missions to explore exoplanets
April 19th, 2023

Missions to explore exoplanets: Ariel - The ESA M4 Space Mission to Focus on the Nature Of Exoplanets

Ariel, the atmospheric remote-sensing infrared exoplanet large-survey, is the M4 mission within the Cosmic Vision science programme of ESA. The goal of Ariel is to investigate the atmospheres of planets orbiting distant stars in order to address the fundamental questions on how planetary systems form and evolve and to investigate the composition of exoplanetary atmospheres. During its 4-year mission, Ariel will observe hundreds of exoplanets ranging from Jupiter- and Neptune-size down to super-Earth size, in a wide variety of environments, in the visible and the infrared. The main focus of the mission will be on warm and hot planets in orbits close to their star. The analysis of Ariel spectra and photometric data will allow to extract the chemical fingerprints of gases and condensates in the planets’ atmospheres, including the elemental composition for the most favourable targets. The Ariel mission has been developed by a consortium of more than 60 institutes from 15 ESA member state countries, including UK, France, Italy, Poland, Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, Denmark, Ireland, Hungary, Sweden, Czech Republic, Germany, Portugal, with an additional contribution from NASA and potentially JAXA and CSA.
Link to video

Dr. Fuencisla Cañadas
CAB (Spain)

Mars Sample Return
May 3rd, 2023

C isotope studies and applications to Mars Sample Return

What is the role of the carbon cycle on Earth? Does this cycle operate similarly on Mars? Carbon is a fundamental element of life and plays a crucial role in Earth’s processes. Its isotopic composition is used to trace the carbon cycle, which provides unique information about the geological history, biological activity, and atmospheric evolution. From an astrobiological perspective, the carbon cycle provides a framework for understanding how the carbon-based chemistry of life might operate on other planets. In this talk, we will review the most relevant variations in the carbon cycle on Earth and the different C isotopic fingerprints associated with biological and geological processes. We will further explore the implications of C isotope studies in the Mars Sample Return mission for determining the habitability of Mars. Finally, we will discuss the challenges and limitations of C isotope studies on characterising Martian carbon sources.
Link to video

Dr. Eva Mateo-Marti
CAB (Spain)

Lab simulations of planet and  satellite atmospheres
May 17th, 2023

Planetary Atmospheres and Surfaces Simulation Chamber: bringing planetary objects to the lab

Even though space missions provide fundamental and unique knowledge for planetary exploration, they are always costly and extremely time-consuming. Due to the obvious technical and economical limitations for in-situ planetary exploration; laboratory simulations are one of the most feasible research options to make advances both in planetary science and in a consistent description of the origin of life. Planetary Atmosphere and Surfaces Chamber (PASC) are able to simulated atmosphere and surface temperature for the majority of the planetary objects and they are especially appropriate to study physico-chemical and biological changes induced in a particular sample due to in-situ irradiation in a controlled environment. Number of relevant applications in planetary exploration will be described in order to provide an understanding about the potential and flexibility of planetary simulation chambers systems: mainly, stability and presence of certain minerals on Mars surface; UV-photocatalytic N2fixation process on mineral surfaces; photochemistry process on molecules and microorganisms potential habitability under planetary environmental conditions would be studied. Therefore, simulation chambers assess several multidisciplinary and challenging planetary and astrobiological studies. Furthermore, will be a promising tools and necessary platform to design future planetary space mission and to validate in-situ measurements from orbital or rover observations.
Link to video

Dr. Keyron Hickmann- Lewis
NHM London/ESA (UK)

Mars Sample Return
May 24th, 2023

Mars Sample Return and the returned sample science potential of geological samples from Jezero crater

The Mars 2020 Perseverance rover is currently exploring Jezero crater, an ancient palaeolake basin that may once have sustained life. In addition to studying the geology and astrobiological potential of Jezero, the rover is tasked with acquiring a range of geologically diverse samples for eventual return to Earth and is therefore the first step toward Mars Sample Return. During the first two years of its mission, Perseverance has collected samples of igneous rocks from the Jezero crater floor, many of which show evidence for alteration by aqueous processes, and sedimentary samples from the Jezero delta. When returned to Earth and studied using sophisticated laboratory instrumentation, this suite of samples should enable us to answer many outstanding questions about the early planetary and environmental evolution of Mars. This talk will present the Mars 2020 mission with a focus on the strategies and rationale for sample selection, outline the diversity of samples already collected (or planned to be collected in the future), and discuss the science potentials of these samples upon return to Earth, particularly those related to astrobiology.
Link to video

Dr. David Barrado
CAB (Spain)

Missions to explore exoplanets
May 31, 2023

JWST and spectroscopy studies of exoplanets

The new JWST space telescope, launched in December 2021, is causing a real revolution in many fields. In particular, its various capabilities are perfectly designed for the characterization of the properties of exoplanets. During the first months of operation several planetary systems have been studied in detail and the first results, truly impressive, have been presented to the community.
Link to video