The research project “PRIN MICRObes under ICY-moon simulation: supporting Solar System exploration (MICRO ICY)” aims to study extremophilic microorganisms adapted to live in Icelandic hydrothermal springs as analogues of subsurface environments of the icy moons of Jupiter and Saturn. The goal of the project is to understand what kind of metabolism may be favoured in those conditions and identify possible biological signatures, through analysis of gas composition, to be sought in robotic exploration missions to the Solar System. Knowledge of these environments and the adaptation mechanisms of their inhabitants is of fundamental importance for astrobiological research.

The post will be held at the Institute for Photonics and Nanotechnologies (IFN), which is part of the National Research Council (CNR), in Padova (Italy).

Deadline:  18^th July 2024

For more info, click here. Any questions can be asked to Dr. Lorenzo Cocola.