The study investigates how well bacterial spores maintain their structural and morphological biosignatures after exposure to harsh conditions simulating the surfaces of Enceladus and Europa. It finds that spore structure remains resilient even after exposure to radiation and temperature extremes, suggesting that methods targeting cell morphology could be valuable for future life detection missions.
consciousness relates to a dynamic process of self-sustained, coordinated brain-scale activity assisting the tuning to a constantly evolving environment, rather than in static descriptions of brain function (3–5). In that respect, neural signals combine, dissolve, reconfigure, and recombine over time, allowing perception, emotion, and cognition to happen (6).