Usually everyone thinks that the first form of life that we find on another planet, satellite or other space object will be some kind of microbe. But for some reason no one assumes that we will come across an alien virus. Which is odd considering how prolific and successful these biological creatures are on Earth.
The new study aims to correct this omission by referring to an entirely new discipline known as astrovirology.
Viruses exist on Earth in huge quantities and go back to the very origins of life. There are 10-100 times more viruses on our planet than any other cellular organisms, so it is reasonable to assume that they exist in other worlds.
Despite their prevalence, scientists know surprisingly little about these "gene clusters" and how they function. The situation is even worse with the study of the possible existence of viruses in other places in the solar system and beyond. For example, NASA's 2015 Astrobiology Strategy makes little mention of viruses, and focuses on the search for cellular alien microorganisms.
In a new article published in the scientific journal Astrobiology, Kenneth Stedman of the University of Portland (USA) argues that it is necessary to fill this gap, and astrobiologists should investigate the possibility of viruses throughout the universe. To this end, Stedman proposes to create the field of astrovirology, to start developing strategies and tools needed to search for viruses outside our planet.
In 2012, he discovered an entirely new group of viruses capable of living in hot lakes made up mostly of boiling acid. This discovery showed that viruses are able to develop and thrive even under such extreme conditions. They reproduce by replication, or self-copying, and are constantly adapting. There is also circumstantial evidence that viruses are incredibly ancient. Thus, the idea that they are scattered throughout the cosmos seems quite plausible. Of course, they may differ from terrestrial ones, but nevertheless they will be viruses, says the scientist.
To further develop astrovirology, Stedman asks NASA and other space agencies to look for viruses in liquid samples taken from planets and moons in our solar system, such as Europa and Enceladus, to develop tools to search for them in ancient sediments on Earth and Mars, and to find out whether viruses are able to survive in space.
"We need to develop existing instruments, put an electron microscope on a spacecraft, or develop other microscopic technologies that can detect molecules, not just atoms." In his opinion, the detection of viruses elsewhere in the solar system does not give any reason for panic. “Viruses have a bad reputation. But if we find viruses on other planets, it will be an indicator of life, and not something that should be feared."
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