Moon to Serve as New Repository for Biological Samples, Scientists Suggest
Researchers at the University of Minnesota are partnering with scientists across the country to propose a plan that could safeguard Earth’s endangered biodiversity through storage on the moon at extremely low temperatures.
Published today in BioScience, the study led by the Smithsonian Institution outlines a roadmap for the creation of a lunar biorepository. The paper proposes an approach for governance, the types of biological material to be stored, and a plan for experiments to address challenges like radiation and microgravity.
The moon’s permanently shadowed craters are ideal for storing biological material that must be held in a cryopreserved state — the naturally cold temperatures are low enough that storage would not require electricity or liquid nitrogen. The proposal takes inspiration from the Svalbard Global Seed Vault in Norway, which functions as a backup for the world’s crop biodiversity. Unlike seeds, animal cells require much lower storage temperatures for preservation.
“We needed an environment where temperatures naturally remain consistently near to or below -320 degrees Fahrenheit for long-term storage of biological samples without the need for human intervention or external power — two factors that could threaten the resilience of Earth-based repositories,” said John Bischof, a professor in the U of M College of Science and Engineering.
Susan Wolf, a professor in the U of M Law School, Medical School, was pivotal alongside Bischof and researchers at the Smithsonian in developing the lunar biorepository concept. Bischof contributed his strong background in engineering and cryopreservation techniques, while Wolf provided expert advice on the ethics and governance issues.
“The success of a lunar biorepository requires collaborative planning to establish a public entity with acceptable operating procedures and continuing oversight,” said Wolf.
The researchers urge inclusion of public and private funders, scientific partners, countries and public representatives in a cooperative governance approach akin to the one used for Svalbard.
The proposal builds on work demonstrating the successful cryopreservation of skin samples from a reef fish called the starry goby. Currently stored at the Smithsonian, these are intended to be the first samples for the lunar biorepository. The next steps are to begin a series of radiation exposure tests to help design packaging that could safely deliver samples to the moon. For species that don’t have skin, such as invertebrates, larvae and other reproductive materials may be used.
“We aren’t anticipating total failure on Earth — if Earth is biologically destroyed this biorepository won’t matter,” said Mary Hagedorn, a research cryobiologist at the Smithsonian National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute and lead author of the paper. “This is meant to help offset natural disasters and, potentially, to augment space travel. Life is precious and, as far as we know, rare in the Universe. This biorepository provides another, parallel approach to conserving Earth’s precious biodiversity.”
In addition to Hagedorn, Bischof and Wolf, the study’s co-authors include Pierre Comizzoli of the Smithsonian National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, Lynne Parenti of the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, Robert Craddock of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, Paula Mabee of the National Ecological Observatory Network, Bonnie Meinke of the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, and Rebecca Sandlin, Shannon Tessier and Mehmet Toner of Harvard Medical School.
The research was funded by the National Science Foundation, Smithsonian Institution, National Institutes of Health and private donors.