MarCyan
Financiado
Extremophile cyanobacteria as life supporters for Mars colonization
The curiosity and the interest of Humanity in space exploration lead to important discoveries on fundamental questions about our place in the Universe, and push forward the development of new technologies, new industries, and impo...
The curiosity and the interest of Humanity in space exploration lead to important discoveries on fundamental questions about our place in the Universe, and push forward the development of new technologies, new industries, and important international relationships. Mars is the nearest planet to Earth, has evidence of water, an element essential for life, and a geological history similar to Earth. These characteristics turn it a source of inspiration and a possible home for humans in the future. However, it is an inhospitable place and several solutions are being pursued in order to help terraform the planet. Atmospheric composition, cosmic radiation, temperature, and the lack of a protective magnetic field are just a few of the problems that Humankind needs to face prior to considering Mars colonization. However, there is a group of organisms that can be used to help solve some of the problems – Cyanobacteria. Why? Because they are simple oxygen producer organisms, with low nutritional requirements, and able to live in a wide range of extreme conditions and ecosystems. Moreover, cyanobacteria can also be used as food sources, to produce biofuels, in bioremediation, and as biofertilizers, for instance, and already proved to be good candidates for the task. MarCyan has the major goal of investigate the possible use of cyanobacteria to support Mars exploration. How? Using extremophile cyanobacteria, isolated from a Mars analog site (Rio Tinto, Spain), and submitted to Mars-like conditions in specialized Planetary Simulation Chambers. Moreover, MarCyan intends to go beyond the conventional knowledge and will use transcriptomic and metabolomic analysis to uncover the possible mechanisms that can help to explain the survival of these organisms to extreme conditions, opening the door to a more conscious choice of the best organisms to be used in Space exploration.
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Duración del proyecto: 29 meses
Fecha Inicio: 2023-05-04
Fecha Fin: 2025-10-31
Fecha Fin: 2025-10-31
Línea de financiación: concedida
El organismo HORIZON EUROPE notifico la concesión del proyecto el día 2023-05-04
Línea de financiación objetivo
El proyecto se financió a través de la siguiente ayuda:
HORIZON-MSCA-2022-PF-01-01:
MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2022
Cerrada
hace 2 años
Presupuesto
El presupuesto total del proyecto asciende a
165K€
Líder del proyecto
INSTITUTO NACIONAL DE TECNICA AEROESPACIAL
No se ha especificado una descripción o un objeto social para esta compañía.
Perfil tecnológico
TRL
4-5
20M
Perfil tecnológico
TRL
4-5
20M