Planetary protection hinges on understanding microbial survival following reduction procedures, the stressors of space travel, and exposure to extraterrestrial environmental conditions. This study identified 23 fungal strains isolated from NASA spacecraft assembly cleanrooms, capable of surviving ultraviolet radiation exposure. Using experimental simulation facilities, we conducted a comprehensive assessment of microbial survivability and morphology on the most resilient spacecraft-associated microorganisms. Aspergillus calidoustus demonstrated remarkable survival under simulated Martian conditions, withstanding up to 1,440 min of Martian solar irradiation, Mars atmospheric pressure and composition, and the presence of Martian regolith. Lethality only occurred under combined irradiation and cooling to -60°C (the mean Mars surface temperature), emphasizing the synergistic effect of these conditions. Furthermore, A. calidoustus survived long-duration neutron radiation exposure (replicating ionizing space radiation doses) and dry-heat microbial reduction technique (typically used for spacecraft components). This is the first study to perform an end-to-end evaluation of eukaryotic microbial survival across conditions that occur during preparation for, travel to, and robotic exploration of Mars. The experimental facilities and chronic exposure methods utilized offer a biologically meaningful model for understanding microbial risks during long-duration space missions. The capacity for fungal conidia to survive multiple space-relevant conditions suggests their potential as forward contaminants, capable of being transported to and persisting on Mars. As current spacecraft microbial reduction protocols prioritize bacterial spores, this research highlights a critical gap in planetary protection strategies. In addition to offering novel insights into microbial survival, these findings have broader implications for biocontamination within the food, pharmaceutical, and medical sectors.IMPORTANCEThis study reveals that conidia of the fungus Aspergillus calidoustus, which was isolated from spacecraft assembly cleanrooms, can survive simulated space-relevant stressors like ultraviolet irradiation, Martian cold atmospheric pressure, regolith exposure, ionizing radiation, and specific doses of recommended dry-heat microbial reduction method for spacecraft. Such fungal resistance demonstrates that the species can survive certain space and Mars conditions previously thought to be sterilizing, highlighting a need to revise current spacecraft decontamination standards that focus mainly on bacterial spores. This study also emphasizes the need for continued microbial monitoring of spacecraft during transit from Earth to other planets, not only to achieve goals of planetary protection but also to maintain healthy closed systems for human missions. Moreover, fungal species are highlighted as biocontamination risks for food, medical, and pharmaceutical industries, which may require the need for new standards of sterilization approaches transferable to space exploration.
Studying planetary interactions in exoplanet systems informs theories of planet formation and evolution, providing essential context for understanding our own solar system. We combine spectroscopy, transit photometry, transit timing variations, and astrometry to characterize the TOI-201 system. The cotransiting system consists of a super-Earth, warm Jupiter, and massive companion at 5.8-, 53-, and 2900-day orbital periods, respectively. We perform dynamical simulations to study the past and future of the system. von-Zeipel-Kozai-Lidov oscillations emerge as the most plausible scenario to explain the outer companion's high orbital eccentricity, with planet-planet scattering a possible but less likely contender. Because of nonzero mutual inclinations between the planets, the system is visibly evolving on very short timescales, with the current cotransiting configuration ending in 200 years.
Many petrological, geodynamical, and geochemical perspectives have offered circumstantial evidence for either an early onset of plate tectonics in the first 10% of Earth's history or a late onset after the great oxidation event (2.5 Ga ago). This calls into question over what timescales plate tectonics have influenced terrestrial geological and geochemical processes. We present geochemical data from the products of ancient crustal subduction, which were recycled into the deep mantle and then tapped by the modern Marquesas volcanic hotspot. We demonstrate that these materials have distinct short-lived radiogenic (146Sm-142Nd, t1/2 = 103 Ma) isotopic compositions (average μ142Nd = +2.3 ±1.3, n = 3) compared to other Marquesas lavas (average μ142Nd = -0.8 ±1.2, n = 7). These results require that the history of these subduction products diverged from those of other Marquesas magmas more than four billion years ago. Quantitative modeling suggests that the most geochemically enriched Marquesas samples represent up to ~0.6% recycled crustal sediments, which may have been subducted at any time in Earth's history but were most likely subducted in the late Hadean Eon to early Eoarchean Era. The inferred felsic composition of such materials further requires that both crustal melting and sedimentation processes were active in some form on the early Earth. Further, the preservation of evidence for foundational planetary events in geologically young rocks reveals that Earth's volcanic hotspots could provide a defining perspective on the early planetary-scale processes that build Earth-like planets.
This Correspondence summarizes the session "From Petri Dish to Planet Earth: Microbiology by All" at FEMS MICRO Milan 2025 highlighting the urgent need for microbial literacy and societal engagement with microbiology. Chaired by Rup Lal and Juan-Luis Ramos, the session convened scientists, educators, and communicators to discuss strategies for promoting microbiology among communities, policymakers, and students. Central contributions focused on the International Microbiology Literacy Initiative (IMiLI), emphasizing global collaboration, intergenerational dialogue, and community-centered educational tools. Discussions showcased practical examples of microbial applications for sustainability and public engagement. The session conclusions, presented by Princy Hira, reaffirmed IMiLI's mission to expand microbial literacy across borders and generations, recognizing educators as key drivers and science communicators as essential outreach ambassadors.
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Behavioral, physiological, and life-history adaptations to the lunar cycle are global phenomena across trophic levels and ecosystems yet remain poorly understood because of the challenges of studying free-living organisms at night. We show that the lunar cycle regulates both daily foraging activity and foraging success in the red-necked nightjar-a nocturnal avian insectivore-and that moonless periods lead to energy deficits that trigger synchronized energy-conservation responses. These cyclical imbalances cascade into fluctuations in fuel reserves and influence the timing of key annual life-history events, including migration and reproduction, but not molt. Despite adaptations to offset lunar constraints, nightjars' annual cycle remains governed by the moon's monthly rhythm, underscoring its pervasive influence on nocturnal life.
The stratosphere's highly hostile environment offers a unique and relatively accessible setting to evaluate extremophilic adaptation for extraterrestrial colonization. The accelerating pace of the Martian project has underscored the need for a better understanding of the synergistic responses of microbial communities in Mars-like habitats. Here, we loaded the cyanobacterial crust, a model system with multiple trophic levels, onto a balloon-borne astrobiology platform for a direct-exposure experiment in the stratosphere, aligned with the ground-control and indoor-simulated groups. After short-term in-situ exposure, we performed multi-omics analyses to delineate alterations in community composition and the community-level metabolic response. We observed a significant shift in the community composition of active members, with the relative abundance of photoautotrophs (except Scytonema) declining while that of chemotrophs increased. However, we demonstrated the unique thriving of the cyanobacterial genus Scytonema, attributed to its synthesis of the anti-ultraviolet compound scytonemin, its diverse material, and its energy acquisition. Meanwhile, the distinct metabolic profiles exhibited by various species and their interspecies metabolic interactions synergistically facilitated the retention of organic carbon and nitrogen, ultimately sustaining the stability of the biocrust community. Our study underscores the adaptive resilience of cyanobacterial crusts under stratospheric stresses. Notably, the robustness of Scytonema, particularly its unique survival capabilities, highlights its potential for extraterrestrial applications.
Diet plays a significant role in shaping climate change, as food production accounts for a large proportion of global greenhouse gas emissions. Animal farming, particularly beef farming, generates a high carbon and water footprint, requiring large amounts of feed, energy, and water. In contrast, a diet based on plant-based products - such as vegetables, fruits, legumes, and whole grains - is much less burdensome on the environment. In response to these challenges, experts from EAT-Lancet have proposed a so-called planetary diet that combines health and climate goals. It involves reducing meat and sugar consumption by half and increasing the share of plant-based products in the daily menu. The latest available literature in this field was analyzed and a standard diet was compared with a planetary diet in order to estimate the potential reduction in greenhouse gas emissions resulting from changes in dietary patterns. Climate change undoubtedly affects food production, availability, nutritional quality, and microbiological safety. Rising temperatures, irregular rainfall, and extreme weather events lead to reduced yields and contribute to more frequent malnutrition among humans. An integrated approach to food and climate policy is needed, based on sound scientific evidence, supporting both human health and the ecological stability of the planet. Dieta odgrywa istotną rolę w kształtowaniu zmian klimatycznych, ponieważ produkcja żywności odpowiada za znaczną część globalnych emisji gazów cieplarnianych. Szczególnie hodowla zwierząt, a zwłaszcza wołowiny, generuje wysoki ślad węglowy i wodny, wymagając dużych zasobów paszy, energii i wody. W przeciwieństwie do tego, dieta oparta na produktach roślinnych – takich jak warzywa, owoce, rośliny strączkowe i pełnoziarniste zboża – jest znacznie mniej obciążająca dla środowiska. W odpowiedzi na te wyzwania, eksperci z EAT-Lancet zaproponowali tzw. dietę planetarną, która łączy cele zdrowotne z klimatycznymi. Zakłada ona ograniczenie spożycia mięsa i cukru o połowę oraz zwiększenie udziału produktów roślinnych w codziennym jadłospisie. Przeanalizowano najnowsze, dostępne piśmiennictwo w tym zakresie oraz porównano standardową dietę z dietą planetarną, w celu oszacowania potencjalnego zmniejszenia emisji gazów cieplarnianych wynikających ze zmiany wzorców żywieniowych. Zmiany klimatyczne bezsprzecznie wpływają na produkcję żywności, jej dostępność, jakość odżywczą i bezpieczeństwo mikrobiologiczne. Wzrost temperatury, nieregularne opady i ekstremalne zjawiska pogodowe prowadzą do zmniejszenia plonów oraz przyczyniają się do częstszego pojawiania się niedożywienia wśród ludzi. Konieczne jest zintegrowane podejście do polityki żywnościowej i klimatycznej, opartej na rzetelnych dowodach naukowych, wspierając zarówno zdrowie człowieka, jak i stabilność ekologiczną planety.
Although desert dust is the most abundant atmospheric aerosol by mass, its longwave radiative effects remain unclear, obscuring the impacts of dust on weather and climate. Here, using a data-driven analytical model constrained by observations, we show that scattering and absorption of longwave radiation by dust heats the planet by +0.25 ± 0.06 W m⁻² (90% confidence). This is nearly twice the value simulated by current climate models, which omit longwave scattering and underrepresent super coarse dust (diameter > 10 μm). These omissions bias modeled surface energy fluxes, cloud responses, precipitation, and atmospheric circulation. At the global scale, the sign and magnitude of the net dust direct radiative effect remain uncertain, with additional work needed to constrain shortwave cooling effects. These findings show that improving the representation of dust interactions with longwave radiation can improve weather forecasting and is essential to resolve the role of dust in climate change.
This Perspective explores and calls for the integration of Indigenous knowledge systems within sustainability science to address urgent environmental, social, and economic challenges. Insights emerged from a collaborative workshop held in Baawaating (Algoma District, Ontario, Canada) with knowledge holders, practitioners, scholars, and community leaders, including members from the Ketegaunseebee (Garden River) and Batchewana First Nations. The paper examines how Indigenous ways of being, thinking, and knowing can enrich sustainability research. This work focuses on mapping parallels and distinctions between Indigenous and other sustainability practices with regard to the planet, the land, and relationships. It explores systems thinking, circularity, and Two-Eyed Seeing as a way to reimagine human-land relationships through place-based knowledge and stewardship. We stress the importance of embedding purpose and intention in scientific inquiry and propose examples such as ceremonial practices, seven-generational thinking, and relational accountability. The Perspective calls for a paradigm shift beyond Western-centric and reductionist approaches, which lead to endless economic growth, toward holistic, interconnected, and intentional frameworks that respect Indigenous worldviews. A series of concrete calls to action urge sustainability researchers to integrate Indigenous knowledge respectfully, foster long-term collaborative relationships, and adopt regenerative and relational approaches in their scholarship. This will contribute to restoring the balance needed among cultures and between humanity and the natural world. Collectively, as sustainability scholars, we want to see meaningful change and encourage a paradigm shift: to embrace inclusive, holistic approaches that contribute to impactful, results-oriented actions that restore health to our world. You can do this through being advocates for change to promote reconciliation, strengthen intercultural relationships, and support greater well-being for all, and, in doing so, protect the planet by reducing ecological harm.
Antarctica hosts a highly endemic and diverse benthic marine fauna. Despite this biodiversity, the Antarctic marine food web remains structurally simple, rendering the ecosystem particularly vulnerable to environmental stressors. Benthic organisms, due to their sedentary nature, long lifespans, and close interaction with the sediment-water interface, are widely regarded as effective sentinels of ecological change. In this study, we extended a previously validated QuEChERS-based extraction protocol, originally developed for Adamussium colbecki organisms, to assess its applicability across additional Antarctic benthic taxa, including Sphaerotylus antarcticus, Odontaster validus, Trematomus bernacchii, and Laternula elliptica. The extraction method was used in combination with LC-MS/MS analysis for the determination of emerging contaminants in both targeted and suspect screening modes. Method performance was evaluated for 23 targeted emerging contaminants (ECs), yielding recovery rates of 58-116% and matrix effects between 62 and 108% for most compounds, confirming the method's suitability for taxonomically diverse matrices. Samples collected during Antarctic expeditions from 2018 to 2022 revealed the presence of multiple ECs, including perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), caffeine, pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs), and UV filters. Complementarily, a preliminary suspect screening via high-resolution mass spectrometry was attempted, revealing the potential presence of a broader spectrum of drugs, PPCPs, and lifestyle-related compounds in all studied species. This work represents one of the first applications of a QuEChERS-based analytical framework for ECs detection in Antarctic marine fauna, offering a reliable approach for long-term contaminant monitoring in one of the planet's most fragile ecosystems.
Wildlife tourism is a globally expanding activity that acts as a double-edged sword, bringing benefits to communities and conservation while potentially affecting species behavior. However, habituation to tourists also serves as a catalyst for behavioral ecology research by allowing the observation of target species. In the Pantanal of Brazil and the Llanos of Colombia, jaguar-oriented tourism has made possible the recording of unprecedented behaviors. In this paper we present records of agonistic interactions between jaguars and two other wild cats, the puma and the ocelot, involving interspecific killing and intra-guild predation. We discuss the nature of these interactions and the role of wildlife tourism as a tool to unravel the behaviors of these elusive wild cats of the Americas.
The "two-layer model" is a 2 + 1 2 degrees-of-freedom non-autonomous dynamical system consisting of a massive, ellipsoidal (possibly spheric) body made of two layers - a hard core and a viscous fluid - revolving about a major planet or a star. We assume that the rotation and the two revolution periods (of core and shell) are close to a resonance, and aim to investigate, in a rigorous way, the mathematical conditions which maintain the resonant motion. In a previous article (Pinzari et al. in Celest Mech Dyn Astron 136(5):39, 2024), we discussed the phenomenon known as "capture into resonance", via qualitative arguments supported by numerical findings. In this paper, we reframe the model along the lines of a suitable version of (which we refer to as "non-quasi-periodic") normal form theory and provide an explicit amount of the resonance trapping time, which is estimated as exponentially-long, in terms of the small parameters of the system.
Textile production is one of the largest industries on the planet. Global annual fibre production was over 113 million tonnes (Mt) in 2021 and is predicted to increase to 149 Mt by 2030. Research into this area has potential to have huge economic and environmental impacts, however the equipment needed to perform this research is often prohibitively expensive and only available on large scale, with quoted 'lab-scale' equipment still taking up the footprint of a small laboratory and costing hundreds of thousands of pounds. This paper details the design and fabrication of a truly lab-scale, modular wet spinning system for rapid first principle research into wet spun fibres. The total fabrication costs for this system are in the region of £500-700 and the total footprint required is <1 m2. The system also packs down for easy transportation and storage and requires a singles mains plug socket to operate. This system has already been used to explore a variety of wet spun fibres including cellulosics, alginates and caseins and has been used to develop new, novel dyeing systems for wet spun fibres as published in ASC Sustainable Chemistry and Engineering: https://doi.org/10.1021/acssuschemeng.3c07437.
Plastic ingestion and entanglement pose significant threats to sea turtles, yet the behavioral mechanisms driving these interactions remain poorly understood. We examined the responses of one rescued adult and four captive-bred juvenile green turtles (Chelonia mydas) to rope-based stimuli mimicking common marine debris: clean-, microfouled-, macrofouled-, and kelp-entangled ropes, along with kelp alone. Each individual was tested in three repeated trials under both single- and simultaneous-stimulus conditions. We quantified biting and leaning behavior across these trials. In single-stimulus trials, biting duration followed the order: kelp > kelp-entangled > macrofouled > clean rope. In simultaneous-stimulus trials, preference followed the order: macrofouled > microfouled > clean rope. During 3-min trials, combined strong visual and olfactory cues from both kelp-entangled (116 ± 7.3 s) and macrofouled (44 ± 13 s) ropes elicited the strongest foraging responses (biting), while clean ropes (9.1 ± 3.3 s)-lacking food cues-elicited the weakest. Importantly, turtles bit or touched both the biological material and the rope substrate, implying that biofouling facilitates incidental plastic ingestion. Conversely, turtles showed longer durations of leaning on clean ropes-approximately 2-fold and 8-fold greater than those on macrofouled and kelp-entangled ropes, respectively-potentially increasing entanglement risk despite the absence of food cues. These findings highlight the dual risks of plastic debris-as ingestion hazards when entangled with or colonized by prey, and as entanglement hazards even when bare. Management should prioritize the early retrieval of debris before significant fouling develops to protect endangered marine megafauna.
Earth observation satellites transform our understanding of Earth's biological, atmospheric, and surface systems. The Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem (PACE) mission, launched in 2024, represents NASA's latest investment in multidisciplinary Earth system science, building upon multi-decadal heritage while introducing revolutionary capabilities. Since launch, PACE has extended and improved upon NASA's 30+ years of global satellite observations of our living ocean, atmosphere, and land, and initiated an advanced set of climate- and applications-relevant data records. Mission goals include extending and improving upon systematic ocean color, aerosol, cloud, and terrestrial data records for Earth system studies, and addressing emerging science questions related to socioeconomic applications. PACE helps assess ocean health by determining the distribution of aquatic phytoplankton. In doing so, it is the first mission to provide daily, global measurements that will enable prediction of the "boom-bust" cycle of fisheries, the appearance of harmful algae, and other factors that affect commercial and recreational industries. PACE also observes clouds and tiny airborne particles known as aerosols that influence air quality and absorb and reflect sunlight, thus warming and cooling the atmosphere. Many stakeholders rely on these key data to forecast weather, visibility, and air quality. Also, PACE provides novel and near-daily views of land surfaces, collectively extending heritage vegetation time series while introducing novel terrestrial measurements previously only achievable at local scales. PACE ultimately provides observations that benefit Earth system research and society as a whole in ways that other current satellites cannot. As it passes its two-year anniversary, the mission exemplifies how combining hyperspectral radiometry with multi-angle polarimetry enables transformative Earth system science, addressing critical uncertainties while establishing new paradigms for integrated observations of our changing planet. This review examines how PACE fills critical gaps across aquatic, terrestrial, and atmospheric science disciplines.
Ecological guilds are groups of organisms that utilize the same class of resources and occupy similar niches, regardless of their taxonomic identities. Here we propose the Guild Model for Cystic Fibrosis Airway Microbial Ecology, which considers the ecological function and wider role of each microbe in the ecosystem. This model consists of four functional guilds: (i) "Brewers" metabolize host-derived substrates (e.g., mucins) and produce fermentation products; (ii) "Drunkards" exploit the metabolic niche built by Brewers, consuming fermentation products and secreting exopolysaccharides to build biofilms; (iii) "Putrifiers" produce toxic compounds causing inflammation and tissue necrosis; and (iv) "Nihilists" are specialist pathogens characterized by intracellular or lytic life cycles and cytotoxin production. By focusing on microbial function and the broader community context, this model offers a refined framework for interpreting cystic fibrosis airway ecology. Although developed for CF, the Guild Model is adaptable to other diseases influenced by microbial ecology.
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Despite the remoteness of their breeding sites, subantarctic seabirds are susceptible to anthropogenic pollutants (e.g. microplastics) and other chemical stressors (e.g. plastic additives) that are released from ships and research stations, arrive in ocean currents, are transported in the atmosphere, or are ingested when the birds feed north of the Antarctic Polar Front. In this study, we investigated the presence and levels of microplastics and several groups of endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in adults or chicks of seven seabird species breeding at the subantarctic islands of South Georgia. A total of 1275 anthropogenic particles were recovered in the gastrointestinal tracts of 76 seabirds, with a frequency of occurrence of 97.4%, a mean value of 16.78 ± 18.79 particles per individual and of 0.03 ± 0.03 particles/g body weight. Ten percent (n = 130 particles) of the particles were identified chemically using microFTIR spectroscopy, of which 59% were synthetic, 18% were natural, 19% were anthropogenic unknown and 4% were anthropogenic cellulosic. Of the EDCs, only polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and methoxylated polybrominated diphenyl ethers (MeO-PBDEs) congeners occurred at levels above the limit of quantification. Liver samples consistently exhibited the highest concentrations of both contaminant groups. The highest concentrations of PBDEs were in adult brown skuas (133.96 ng/g) and of MeO-PBDEs were in wandering albatross chicks (6.50 ng/g). This research provides evidence of plastics and plastic additives in subantarctic seabirds, underscoring the need to strengthen measures aimed at reducing marine pollution.