2025 – 2026

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 (EAI). It provides a framework to meet online with the international astrobiology community and to acquire interdisciplinary knowledge through a series of seminars given by experts in these fields. The Academy audience connects from more than 32 countries and all continents, with an average participation of 70 attendees per seminar. Past editions are accesible through the CAB youtube channel (link to 2021-2022, link to 2022-2023, link to 2023-2024, link to 2024-2025).

The EAI Academy program for the academic year 2025-2026 will start this October, 10/8/2025. 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). The talks will be given by world-renowned experts, who answer the questions raised by the public after their talk. All seminars will be recorded for future availability 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 the attendance, you will need to enter your name and affiliation in the seminar chat when you enter the room (Zoom).

LIST OF SPEAKERS AND TOPICS

Dr. Pedro Monarrez

Virginia Tech, USA
October 8, 2025

Animal Body Size Response to Ancient Hyperthermal Events

Ancient hyperthermal events in Earth’s history can be used to isolate the evolutionary consequences of climate change and other environmental factors from background geologic intervals. A key biological trait hypothesized to be sensitive to climate change and straightforward to quantify in fossil data is body size, as ectotherms modulate their physiological response to temperature and oxygen change in part through their body size. Here, we measure genus-level extinction and origination selectivity with respect to body size for six extant and ectothermic Linnean classes with robust fossil records (Rhynchonellata, Cephalopoda, Echinoidea, “bony fish”, Bivalvia, and Gastropoda) using occurrence data from the Paleobiology Database. We compare selectivity during background intervals with those during hyperthermal events and their associated recovery intervals spanning the Early Permian to the Recent using capture-mark-recapture models. Using the best-fitting model for each class, we find that background extinction preferentially affects genera with smaller body sizes, whereas hyperthermal events do not show a consistent association between extinction probability and body size. Conversely, genera originating during background intervals are typically larger than average, whereas genera originating during hyperthermal recovery intervals are typically smaller than survivors, except for bony fish, which exhibit preferential origination of larger genera.
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Dr. Ken A. Dill

Stony Brook University, USA
November 5, 2025

The Origins of Life: A new look at an old problem

How did the first living cells come into being from the earth’s molecular soup about 4 billion years ago? Despite much speculation – maybe RNA molecules came first, or proteins, or chemical networks – there’s not yet a consensus origins story. We’re looking at this from a physics perspective around three problems. First, before addressing what molecules came first — the chicken and egg problem, we must address the more fundamental question: What was the driving force? What was the autocatalytic dynamics, i.e. the “flywheel” of evolution that could choose materials in the first place? Second, how did sequence-structure-function arise from random polymers? It’s a “needle-in-a-haystack” problem. Third, what was “fitness” before there was biology? Chemistry doesn’t have such a thing. We have developed theory and simulations, and recently some experiments, showing how short random proteins could bootstrap their way towards biology.
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Dr. Lyle Whyte

McGill University, Macdonald Campus, 21,111 Lakeshore Rd, Ste.-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC, H9X 3V9, Canada
November 19, 2025

Life at low temperatures and ocean worlds

Prof. Whyte will present research on active microbial ecosystems in unique polar environments and their relevance for guiding the search for extant life on Mars, Europa, and Enceladus. For example, the Canadian High Arctic features several anoxic, hypersaline cold springs including Lost Hammer Spring, which perennially discharges anoxic, subzero brines (−5°C; 24% salinity) through ~600 m of permafrost. Multi-genomics approaches utilizing metagenome, metatranscriptome, and single-amplified genome sequencing revealed a rare surface terrestrial habitat supporting a predominantly lithoautotrophic active microbial community driven in part by sulfide-oxidizing Gammaproteobacteria scavenging trace oxygen. Results from our recent research have detected active microbial ecosystems present in surface ice from the high Arctic Devon Ice Cap, and trace gas (H2, CO, CH4) metabolisms. Our global results demonstrate Mars and icy moon -relevant microbial metabolisms detected under anoxic, hypersaline, and sub-zero ambient conditions, providing evidence that similar extant microbial life could potentially survive in similar habitats within our solar system. This research also is providing guidance for planetary protection protocols especially in terms of human pathogenicity risk assessments for backward contamination via future Mars sample return missions.
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Dr. Amy Williams

University of Florida, USA
December 3, 2025

Target Locations for the Search for Life on Mars

The exploration of Mars has taken us from ‘Follow the Water’ with the Spirit and Opportunity rovers, to ‘Follow the Carbon’ with the Curiosity rover. We now accept the challenge to ‘Follow the Life’ with the grand search for ancient life on Mars through the Perseverance rover mission and the Mars Sample Return program. This presentation will explore the foundational discoveries and ongoing exploration of Mars, the search for life beyond Earth, and the challenges and opportunities in life detection strategies.
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Dr. Patrick Forterre

Pasteur Institute, France
December 17, 2025

Viruses and proteins in the origins of life

The origin of life remains a major mystery still today. However, the work of biochemists, molecular biologists and geneticists during the last decades have provided critical information about the nature of the early steps that led to modern organisms. In particular, the order of the emergence of the three life specific macromolecules, RNA, proteins and DNA, is quite clear. We are also now in the position to propose sound hypotheses about the nature of the last universal ancestors of all living cells (LUCA), the topology of the universal tree of life or else, the origin of viruses.
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Dr. Eva Stueeken

University of St. Andrews, Great Britain
January 14, 2026

Assessing astrobiogeochemical controls on phosphorus supply and implications for habitability

Phosphorus is a critical element for all life as we know it, making it a key parameter for habitability and biogenesis. Some ocean worlds in the outer solar system appear to be phosphorus-enriched, whereas on the modern Earth phosphorus is often a limiting nutrient that restricts biospheric growth. This seminar reviews some of the processes that govern the supply of phosphorus to planetary surfaces, including core formation, meteorite impacts, weathering and secondary mineral formation. New data and models suggest that phosphorus concentrations in Earth’s oceans changed markedly over the past 4 billion years, perhaps dictating the pace of biological evolution. An underexplored aspect are spatial gradients and the redox state of phosphorus in different environments through time. Addressing these open questions may enable us to place tighter constraints on planetary habitability across the solar system and beyond.
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Dr. Paul Zabel

DLR, Germany
January 28, 2026

ISRU Technology Developments for Regolith Beneficiation and Water Extraction on Moon and Mars

The Synergetic Material Utilization (SMU) research group focuses on combining Life Support Systems and In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) systems. The group works on a combination of laboratory-scale experimental setups in relevant environments and simulations to contribute to the development of ISRU technologies for Moon and Mars. The research foci are on regolith beneficiation and water extraction technologies on Moon and Mars. The first research area is regolith beneficiation, which includes the development of a laboratory scale model for a multi-stage beneficiation testbed. The testbed achieved a three-fold increase in the ilmenite weight concentration compared to the unprocessed input regolith. The goal is to further develop particle size sorting and magnetic mineral enrichment processes. Another activity is the utilization of Martian atmospheric gases for regolith beneficiation, transportation and collection. Here a comprehensive system analysis showed that there is great potential to utilize the gases of the Martian atmosphere for air classification of regolith. The second research area is water extraction and purification for in-situ propellant and consumables production. Here, the SMU group has led the EU-funded LUWEX project. Its objective is to extract, capture, and purify water from lunar icy regolith, reaching Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 4/5. Along with validating this water process chain in a relevant lunar simulated environment, the project developed a novel method to produce an icy regolith simulant. As a foundation for LUWEX, an experimental study was performed on the solubility of regolith simulants in water. Additionally, several feasibility studies have been performed on different ISRU topics. One system analysis focused of an ISRU production plant to extract oxygen and metals. Furthermore, a second analysis on the oxygen production costs and logistics on the Moon surface was carried out, leading to the conclusion that the location with the best resources is the main driver in location selection. A third study was conducted on extracting minerals on Mars suitable for plant cultivation.
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Dr. Charlot Vandevoorde

GSI Helmholtz Center for Heavy Ion Research, Germany
February 11, 2026

Space Radiation: an invisible barrier to human exploration

As human space exploration moves beyond low Earth orbit toward sustained missions to the Moon and Mars, exposure to space radiation represents one of the principal constraints on mission duration, crew health, and operational capability. Outside Earth’s magnetic field and atmosphere, astronauts are exposed to a complex radiation environment dominated by high-energy particles of galactic and solar origin. These exposures differ fundamentally from terrestrial radiation in both quality and dose levels, leading to chronic, cumulative biological effects that impact multiple organ systems. This talk will introduce the space radiation environment relevant to human exploration, summarize current understanding of the associated health risks, and discuss the limitations of conventional protection strategies such as shielding and operational constraints. In this context, the need for novel, biologically informed countermeasures is emerging, capable of complementing physical protection by enhancing physiological resilience during long-duration missions. The presentation will conclude by outlining emerging research directions aimed at enabling safe and sustainable human exploration beyond low Earth orbit.
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Dr. Isabelle Anna Zink

University of Vienna, Austria
March 4, 2026

Viruses vs. Archaea: An Ancient Arms Race from Hot Springs to the Origin of Life

Viruses are the most abundant biological entities on Earth and have shaped cellular life for billions of years. In high-temperature environments, heat-loving archaea face a remarkable diversity of viral adversaries. To persist, these microorganisms have evolved sophisticated defense strategies, including CRISPR-Cas and Argonaute systems, that identify and neutralize invaders. This talk will explore the dynamic virus-host arms race in thermophilic habitats, breaking down how these immune systems operate and interact in modern archaea. By examining these heavily armed extremophiles, we will also look back in evolutionary time toward the Last Universal Common Ancestor (LUCA) and ask: did early life already possess defenses against genetic parasites, and what does it take to survive at the very edge of life's limits?
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Rowan J. Whittle

BAS, United Kingdom
March 11, 2026

The past, present and future of Antarctic seafloor ecosystems

The seafloor around Antarctica is home to a diverse and unique community of animals that are mostly found nowhere else on Earth. Sea life in the region has evolved over millions of years, from when the continent was much warmer and covered in forests, and there were ammonites, mosasaurs and plesiosaurs in the ocean, to when it became separated from other continents and ice started forming. We are currently investigating how past changes in climate caused shifts in seafloor ecosystems. Our research looks at how past seafloor communities were structured, and how this has changed over the Cenozoic (66 million years ago to the present), through geological events such as the K-Pg mass extinction (66 million years ago) which killed off the dinosaurs, over a time of warmth in the early Eocene (56 million years ago) to global cooling and the onset of glaciation in the Antarctic region (around 34 million years ago). Today, around 94% of the Southern Ocean’s biodiversity is found sitting on or crawling across the sediments and rocks at the bottom of the sea. Having existed in near-isolation and freezing waters for millions of years, these uniquely adapted species are under threat from local and global change. Our research aims to improve our knowledge of how modern Antarctic ecosystems are structured and how they function, and under what conditions this evolved. Using biological data from sea-floor science expeditions, fossil specimens from Antarctic field campaigns, and emerging technologies, we aim to use these data to increase our ability to predict ecosystem disturbance in a changing environment.
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Dr. Christophe Sotin

Département Sciences de la Terre et de l'Univers. University of Nantes, France
March 25, 2026

Environmental conditions in the oceans of icy moons and planets

The discovery of oceans beneath the icy crusts of Europa, Ganymede, Enceladus, and Titan has triggered a research program aimed at determining the conditions that prevail in these oceans. Water is essential for life as we know it. But other key parameters also come into play, including temperature, pressure, and the availability of elements and nutrients, to name but a few. This presentation focuses on the exchange processes between the refractory core and the ocean. The metamorphism of the core generates elements and molecules that are transported to the ocean, providing key elements for assessing the survivability potential of living organisms. Applications to various icy moons will be described.
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Dr. Stephen Mojzsis

University of Bayreuth, Germany
April 8, 2026

After the Moon

The inner solar system experienced bombardment from late accretion of leftover planetesimals, comets and asteroids in the first several hundred million years of the Solar System. The sources and tempo of this bombardment are debated. Radiometric dating of achondrite meteorites – including iron meteorites - record differentiation and formation of crusts by ca. 0.7 Myr into Solar System history. Superimposed on this early history are later impact-induced U-Pb and Pb-Pb ages that wane by ca. 4.45 Gyr ago. Younger ages are confined to 40-39Ar geochronology, which is relatively susceptible to thermal resetting, and describe an age continuum from ca. 4.48 Gyr ago extending in a long tail to 3.0 Gyr ago with occasional impact events up to the present time. The decline in late accretion intensity was well underway before Earth, Moon and Mars could have last experienced wholesale crustal melting as defined by the oldest zircon U-Pb ages around 4.4 Gyr ago. Here I track the dynamical profile of late accretion flux by coupling models of giant planet migration with time-integrated ages compiled from different radiogenic systems for meteorites, and lunar, martian and terrestrial rocks. I show that if giant planet migration commenced at ca. 4.48 Gyr ago as is now widely believed (Mojzsis et al., 2019, 2022; Walton et al. 2026; Abramov et al. in preparation), it led to an intense ~30 Myr influx of comets to the inner solar system capable of continually renewing planetary crusts until ca. 4.45 Gyr ago. This age comports with planetary Pb, Xe and Nd isotopic values extrapolated to primordial compositions which yield separation times for terrestrial silicate reservoirs. I end with a description its thermal consequences and assess the likelihood that persistent biochemistry could emerge ca. 130 Myr after solar system formation.
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Bs William W Crockett

MIT, USA
April 22, 2026

Physical constraints during Snowball Earth drive the evolution of multicellularity

The history of life on Earth is punctuated by major evolutionary transitions, where new levels of biological organization emerge from collective underlying components. Among these, the emergence of multicellularity stands out due to its coincident appearance across multiple branches of life during the Neoproterozoic era. In this talk, I explore how one of the most extreme climate events in Earth’s history—the Cryogenian ‘Snowball Earth’ glaciations—may have generated selective pressures for complex multicellular organisms. During Snowball Earth, global ice cover dramatically altered ocean temperature, light availability, and nutrient fluxes, fundamentally reshaping the physical constraints under which life operated. Using a mechanistic framework, I show how these environmental shifts generate divergent selective pressures across metabolic and transport regimes: favoring smaller sizes in diffusion-limited organisms, while promoting larger, multicellular organization in motile heterotrophs. This asymmetry provides a potential explanation for why complex multicellularity emerged in eukaryotes but not in prokaryotes. This work highlights the co-evolution of planetary environments and biological organization. By understanding how environmental extremes can generate selective pressure we gain insight not only into Earth’s past, but into the kinds of life—and levels of complexity—we might expect in the cold oceans of icy worlds beyond Earth.
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Dr. Rita Severino

Centro de Astrobiología, Spain
May 20, 2026

Reconstructing the Deep Past

Ancestral proteins are molecular hypotheses about the deep past. Through Ancestral Sequence Reconstruction (ASR), these ancient biomolecules can be inferred, synthesized, and experimentally characterized in the laboratory. By resurrecting extinct proteins, ASR provides a powerful framework to investigate the biology of early life, improve the interpretation of biosignatures, and inform the search for life beyond Earth. These approaches help bridge molecular evolution, paleobiology, and astrobiology by generating experimentally testable models of ancient life. In particular, we will take a closer look at the evolution of early chaperonins (~4 Ga Hsp60), providing insights into the emergence of complex multimeric protein assemblies in ancient cellular life.
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Dr. Lloyd Peck

BAS, United Kingdom
May 27, 2026

Unique adaptations of Antarctic marine animals

Antarctic oceans contain possibly the most unusual life on Earth living at the lowest aquatic temperatures on the planet. Biodiversity in the sea is much higher than a non-expert would expect with possibly as many as 20,000 species of animal living in the Southern Ocean, mainly on the seabed. The extreme environment allows giant species to exist, but it slows the pace of biology such that physiologies like embryonic development run much slower than elsewhere. On top of the temperature effect on the rate of processes, the Arrhenius effect, other physical factors change around zero Celsius, which results in even slower rates of growth and embryonic development that predicted by the Arrhenius relationship. The out come is embryo development more than an order of magnitude slower than it should be even for the low temperature. This talk discusses these attributes and the current ideas to explain them.
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Dr. Harley Greene

Pioneer Labs, USA
June 3, 2026

Using a new regolith analog to identify and engineer microbes for biological in situ resource utilization on Mars

Mars’ relatively moderate surface conditions, availability of solar energy, and resources like water ice, carbon dioxide, and mineral-rich regolith make it a compelling target for supporting life beyond Earth. However, existing experiments testing biological in situ resource utilization (bio-ISRU) in Mars conditions generally rely on leachates of physical regolith simulants, which vary in composition and are not designed with biology in mind. At Pioneer Labs, we developed a defined Mars media (DMM) that simulates the relevant soluble nutrients and stressors in Martian regolith, allowing for more controlled astrobiology experiments. DMM was designed by combining direct rover and lander measurement from Mars with measurements of regolith simulant leachates. We’ve used DMM to screen for potential heterotrophic microbe habitability and to identify promising chassis organisms. One of those microbes, Cupriavidus necator, was further engineered to increase bioplastic production in Mars conditions. By shifting from variable leachate-based approaches to a defined aqueous simulant, we can enable controlled hypothesis testing of microbial survival, growth, and function.
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