Afonso Morgado Mota
FCUP / IA / CIIMAR

Abstract
To detect life on other worlds, we must study the only known life in the universe: Earth. Although they often go unnoticed, microorganisms dominate our biosphere and can thrive in any environment, from active volcanoes to polar ice, from the depths of Earth's crust to its upper atmosphere. To study microbial diversity, I created a quality-controlled catalogue of growth conditions covering over 87% of all cultured prokaryotic microbes. The database can be used to address some key questions: Where do most organisms truly thrive? What defines the outer edges of life’s limits? Should pineapple go on pizza? I demonstrated the usefulness of this catalogue by using it to identify microbes that could potentially survive on Mars. I then developed a proof-of-concept ecological model to map their potential distribution on Mars over time. This approach showcases how harnessing data from Earth’s microbes can inform our search for life on other planets.

2025 February 05, 13:30

IA/U.Porto
Centro de Astrofísica da Universidade do Porto (Classroom)
Rua das Estrelas, 4150-762 Porto