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Exoplanet-Proof Lichens

ITA version ESP version

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Life on Earth is possible thanks, among other things, to the presence of the atmosphere, which filters UV rays from the Sun, including UVC – the shortest and most harmful wavelengths. These rays are so lethal that even brief exposure can trigger DNA recombination, which is why they are used for high-efficiency sterilisation. However, the protection offered by our atmosphere seems to be lacking on Earth-like exoplanets discovered so far, which orbit stars emitting even higher amounts of UVC, raising doubts about the possibility of life.

A lichen, however, is offering new hope.

In the Mojave Desert near Las Vegas, researchers studied Clavascidium lacinulatum, a lichen that, despite being photosynthetic, is not green but rather dark brown, sometimes almost black. The team collected and cultivated samples, then exposed them to continuous UVC radiation for three months in an anaerobic environment, i.e. without oxygen. At the end of the exposure, they measured the photosynthetic quantum yield (a parameter indicating light stress) and, to their great surprise, it had dropped by only 40%, while the vitality of the photobiont (the symbiotic green alga) had decreased by only 35%, with no statistically significant variation.

Another remarkable finding was that the photobiont, when isolated from the rest of the lichen, died in less than a minute under UVC – confirming the crucial protective role of symbiosis. Furthermore, once rehydrated, surviving algal cells were able to resume their normal life cycle.

This resilience appears to depend on several factors: the melanised cortex (the dark outer layer), which shields UVC rays; the presence of a specific compound (C₁₀H₁₄N₂O₅) that absorbs harmful wavelengths; and a natural tolerance to oxidative stress, reinforced by the fact that UVC damage was reduced in oxygen-free conditions.

The authors suggest that organisms like C. lacinulatum might survive without a stratospheric ozone layer—so exoplanets with intense UVC radiation shouldn’t be ruled out as potentially habitable.

See You Soon and Good Science!

Source Pic by NPS/Jana Kocourková

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Lizards' Survival Trick: Insecticides & Heat! #sciencefather #researcha...

Lizards’ Survival Trick: Insecticides & Heat! Recent studies reveal how some lizards adapt to survive in harsh environments by developing resistance to insecticides and coping with rising temperatures. This evolutionary edge offers critical insights into climate resilience and ecological balance in changing habitats.

  #LizardAdaptation #SurvivalScience #HeatResistance #InsecticideTolerance #EcoResilience #ReptileResearch #ClimateAdaptation #LizardSurvival #ToxicTolerance #WildlifeScience #EnvironmentalStress #SpeciesSurvival #HotHabitatSurvivors #LizardEvolution #ReptileBehavior #UrbanWildlife #AdaptOrPerish #EcoAdaptation #ScientificDiscovery #BiodiversityInsights Global Diseases Research Award 

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Never underestimate a lichen

Exoplanet-Proof Lichens

ITA version ESP version

Instagram Facebook Linktree

Life on Earth is possible thanks, among other things, to the presence of the atmosphere, which filters UV rays from the Sun, including UVC – the shortest and most harmful wavelengths. These rays are so lethal that even brief exposure can trigger DNA recombination, which is why they are used for high-efficiency sterilisation. However, the protection offered by our atmosphere seems to be lacking on Earth-like exoplanets discovered so far, which orbit stars emitting even higher amounts of UVC, raising doubts about the possibility of life.

A lichen, however, is offering new hope.

In the Mojave Desert near Las Vegas, researchers studied Clavascidium lacinulatum, a lichen that, despite being photosynthetic, is not green but rather dark brown, sometimes almost black. The team collected and cultivated samples, then exposed them to continuous UVC radiation for three months in an anaerobic environment, i.e. without oxygen. At the end of the exposure, they measured the photosynthetic quantum yield (a parameter indicating light stress) and, to their great surprise, it had dropped by only 40%, while the vitality of the photobiont (the symbiotic green alga) had decreased by only 35%, with no statistically significant variation.

Another remarkable finding was that the photobiont, when isolated from the rest of the lichen, died in less than a minute under UVC – confirming the crucial protective role of symbiosis. Furthermore, once rehydrated, surviving algal cells were able to resume their normal life cycle.

This resilience appears to depend on several factors: the melanised cortex (the dark outer layer), which shields UVC rays; the presence of a specific compound (C₁₀H₁₄N₂O₅) that absorbs harmful wavelengths; and a natural tolerance to oxidative stress, reinforced by the fact that UVC damage was reduced in oxygen-free conditions.

The authors suggest that organisms like C. lacinulatum might survive without a stratospheric ozone layer—so exoplanets with intense UVC radiation shouldn’t be ruled out as potentially habitable.

See You Soon and Good Science!

Source Pic by NPS/Jana Kocourková