Defining Aqueous Habitable Conditions in the Universe

在科学问题中，“生命是我们星球上独有的吗？”是最基本的问题之一，因此也是STFC科学优先事项的一部分。它横跨天文学和行星科学，但要回答这个问题，还需要在天体生物学的职权范围内引入生物学学科来处理这个问题。仅仅存在可居住的条件并不意味着存在生命，但确定可能存在生命的地点的第一步是找到可居住的条件（即至少支持一种已知生物活动的条件）。根据我们对地球生命的了解，寻找适宜居住的环境是必要的。寻找宜居条件和生命存在的可能性的基本问题是“什么使环境适合居住？”以及“外星环境如何影响宜居环境？”这项拨款提案提供了涵盖这些问题的主题，以爱丁堡大学现有的优势为基础。在这笔拨款中，我们计划开展旨在了解影响可居住性的基本参数的研究。在我们之前研究的基础上，我们将继续在本提案中确定宇宙中可居住性形成的一般原则（主题1）以及空间条件如何影响微生物的生长和行为（主题2）使用轨道设施。如果在其他天体上发现了适宜居住的条件，比如火星或冰冷的卫星，我们想要了解辐射在其进化中可能发挥的作用，利用英国独特的地下天体生物学和科学能力，目前由STFC（主题3）支持。作为这项全面拨款的一部分，我们还计划在现有设施的基础上，继续开发行星科学和天文学的模拟设施。这项工作将极大地促进我们对可居住条件的理解，为我们提供关于最有可能拥有可居住条件的地方以及它们可能有多丰富的知识。我们的工作具有高度的紧迫性和专题重要性，因为它为解释从太空和行星任务返回的数据提供了基础，为行星科学和轨道科学开发了新的能力，这正在成为当务之急，并促进了我们对地球生命程度的总体理解，为我们提供了一个数据点，以了解宇宙中可居住条件的普遍性，这是一个国际上非常感兴趣的话题。我们的工作建立在爱丁堡大学英国天体生物学中心五年的科学、技术发展和公众宣传的基础上，我们寻求通过这项拨款提案继续这项工作，利用我们的优势来解决与STFC科学相关的新科学问题，并开发新的设施和能力来研究地球以外的环境。我们的工作产生了公共宣传、教育和实际的社会效益，为此我们确定了具体的项目和贡献。其中包括利用天体生物学丰富和推进监狱环境中的科学教育（超越生活），并通过中小学教师培训改善英国学校的跨学科科学教育。

Among science questions, 'is life unique to our planet?' is one of the most fundamental and is for that reason part of STFC's science priorities. It cuts across astronomy and planetary sciences, yet answering it also requires that biological disciplines be brought to bear on the question under the remit of astrobiology. The mere presence of habitable conditions does not imply the presence of life, but a first step in identifying plausible locations for life is to find conditions that are habitable (i.e. conditions that will support the activity of at least one known organism). The search for habitable conditions is necessary bounded by what we know about life on Earth.Fundamental to the search for habitable conditions and the possibility of life are the questions 'What makes an environment habitable?' and 'How do extraterrestrial conditions influence habitable conditions?'. This grant proposal offers themes that cover each of these questions, building on existing strengths in the University of Edinburgh.In this grant we plan to carry out research aimed at understanding the fundamental parameters that influence habitability. Building on our previous research we will continue in this proposal to determine the general principles by which habitability is shaped in the Universe (Themes 1) and how space conditions effect the growth and behaviour of microorganisms (Theme 2) using orbital facilities. If habitable conditions are found on other bodies, such as Mars or icy moons we want to understand the extent to radiation may play a role in its evolution using the UK's unique subsurface astrobiology and science capabilities that are currently supported by STFC (Theme 3). As part of this encompassing grant we also plan to continue to develop simulation facilities for planetary science and astronomy, building on our existing facilities. The work will significantly advance our understanding of the conditions required for habitability by providing us with better knowledge about the places most likely to harbour habitable conditions and how abundant they might be.Our work is of high urgency and topical importance since it provides the underpinnings of interpreting data coming back from space and planetary missions, developing new capabilities for planetary science and science in orbit, which is becoming of immediate priority and advancing our general understanding of the extent to which life on Earth provides us with a data point to understand the prevalence of habitable conditions in the Universe, a topic of great international interest.Our work builds on five years of science, technology development and public outreach at the University of Edinburgh within the UK Centre for Astrobiology and we seek to continue this work through this grant proposal, building on our strengths to address new science questions linked to STFC science and developing new facilities and capabilities for the study of environments beyond the Earth. Our work has spin-offs into public outreach, education and practical societal benefits for which we have identified specific projects and contributions. They including using astrobiology to enrich and advance science education in the prison environment (Life Beyond) and improving the education of interdisciplinary science in schools across the UK by teacher training at primary and secondary school level.