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AstrobiologyOU @astrobiologyou.bsky.social · 5d

Today is National Poetry Day!

Here is a poem written by one of our former PhD students Dr Anushree Srivastava about her discovery of novel microbial species

You can find her blog on our website and you can listen to Anushree read her poem!

#SciencePoetry #NationalPoetryDay #ScienceMeetsArt

A “NOVEL” Story of Life in Salt

In a soft and salty embrace

You were hiding

In oblivion

But deep down

wanting to be found

and known

Who knows

if you found me

or I found you

But YOU tiny life

Destined to be known

It’s a story of your survival

And a redefinition

of my work

as you came

and changed

the whole course of it

I gave you a microcosm

Stressed

And depressed

Like a bygone Mars?

Like I was searching for you

You grew

Not one

Not two

But three of you

And science

will come to know you

With a name and a personality

For the very first time

In its entire lifetime

Your existence

Evolving in pigments

Yellows and whites

And reds

You love all

whether its sodium chloride

or epsomite

and that makes you bright

and you can also hide

for an indefinite time?

because spores you got

and your genes say a lot

about your dormant plot

and the ancient style of sustenance of you all

As much salty is planet Mars

As apt you are

To have flowed in the brines of early Mars?

So yes

a lot

is yet to be thought

But YOU

Will always be the offspring of AstrobiologyOU

And

You are mine

For eternity

~ Anushree Srivastava

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AstrobiologyOU @astrobiologyou.bsky.social · 7d

Today we welcome our new PhD Students: Esma, Liam and Rita!!!!

#PhDlife #OUFamily #Welcome

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AstrobiologyOU @astrobiologyou.bsky.social · 8d

World Space Week 2025 is nearly here!

Explore space careers, planetary protection & astrobiology ethics through talks & on-demand content.

👉 stem.open.ac.uk/events

#WorldSpaceWeek #SpaceForAll #STEMEvents

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AstrobiologyOU @astrobiologyou.bsky.social · 12d

German: Astrobiologie
French: astrobiologie
Kannada: ಆಸ್ಟ್ರೋಬಯಾಲಜಿ
Bulgarian : Астробиология
Macedonian: Астробиологија
Czech: Astrobiologie
Marathi: खगोल-जीव शास्त्र
Sinhala: පිටසක්වළ ජීව විද්යාව
Polish: astrobiologia
Arabic: علم الأحياء الفلكي
Tamil: வானுயிரியல்
Portuguese: astrobiologi

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AstrobiologyOU @astrobiologyou.bsky.social · 12d

Happy International Languages Day!

In languages spoken by the team and some of our collaborators:

Welsh: Astrobioleg
Norwegian: astrobiologi
Greek: Αστροβιολογία
Hindi and Sanskrit: खगोल-जीव विज्ञान
Hungarian: asztrobiológia
Italian: astrobiologia

#InternationalLanguages #Astrobiology

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the word "Astrobiology" in different languages

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AstrobiologyOU @astrobiologyou.bsky.social · 13d

World Space Week 2025 is nearly here
We’ve got talks, videos & more exploring careers, ethics & planetary protection.

Join us all week to celebrate space!

Event details: stem.open.ac.uk/events

#WorldSpaceWeek #SpaceForEveryone

World Space Week 2025
4 - 10 October
Protecting the Solar System
You Don’t Have to be an Astronaut to Work in Space
Astrobiology Ethics
Online resources
Much more...

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AstrobiologyOU @astrobiologyou.bsky.social · 16d

New study by Dr Nisha Ramkissoon shows Europa’s ocean chemistry is more strongly influenced by accreted volatiles—especially cometary materials—than by its rocky interior, with implications for habitability and future space missions.

👉 buff.ly/Hke1twH

#Europa #Astrobiology #SpaceScience

Dr Nisha Ramkissoon is a Research Fellow exploring the effects geological processes have on the occurrence and detection of life

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Reposted by AstrobiologyOU

Emma Johanna Puranen @spacesword.bsky.social · 18d

Paper out today in Space Policy! An academic riff on Christopher Stone’s seminal environmental law paper “Should Trees have Standing?” www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti... first paper of my postdoc 💪🏼

Who speaks for extraterrestrial ecosystems?: Why ET should have standing

Christopher Stone's pioneering 1972 paper “Should Trees Have Standing?” proposed legal rights and standing for the environment under a guardianship mo…

www.sciencedirect.com

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AstrobiologyOU @astrobiologyou.bsky.social · 18d

It was an absolute joy to attend this morning's @openuniversity.bsky.social graduation!

Congratulations to all who graduated - including our very own #GraceRichards

We’re very proud of you!

#OUFamily @ougradsch.bsky.social #SPS #OUSTEM

🍾🥂🍾

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AstrobiologyOU @astrobiologyou.bsky.social · 19d

Great to have Prof Mark Sephton (Imperial) giving a seminar on
“The Bayesian statistical approach to planetary protection.”

A fascinating look at a data-driven approach to safeguarding other worlds and an inspirational review of his research career!

#Astrobiology #PlanetaryProtection #SpaceScience

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AstrobiologyOU @astrobiologyou.bsky.social · 23d

Ready to learn something out of this world?
Celebrate National Adult Learners Week by exploring our FREE online resources!

No experience needed — just curiosity!

👉 open.edu/openlearn/astrobiology

#AdultLearnersWeek #Astrobiology #FreeLearning #LifelongLearning #OnlineCourses #LearnForFree

A view of the Astrobiology Collection on OpenLearn showing the resources available - "Europa: A collection", "What is planetary protection", "Space" to boldly, but cautiously, go"

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AstrobiologyOU @astrobiologyou.bsky.social · 25d

World Space Week 2025 is nearly here
We’ve got talks, videos & more exploring careers, ethics & planetary protection.

Join us all week to celebrate space! 4 - 10 October

Full details and registration info coming soon.
#WorldSpaceWeek #SpaceForEveryone

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AstrobiologyOU @astrobiologyou.bsky.social · 28d

Today at #EPSCDPS2025 - Jessie is presenting her PhD work exploring how ice grain size affects salt composition in the plumes of Saturn’s moon Enceladus.

This work helps us understand how different-sized grains carry different chemical signatures.

#Enceladus #Astrobiology #IcyWorlds #SpaceResearch

Jessie Hogan is a PhD student focusing on the signatures of salty ices forming in the plume environment at ocean worlds.

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AstrobiologyOU @astrobiologyou.bsky.social · 28d

Today at #EPSCDPS2025 - Grace, one of our Alumni, presented a poster on her PhD work simulating how Saturn’s magnetosphere affects the icy surface of Enceladus.

The research helps us understand how surface chemistry might shape what we see in Enceladus’ plumes

#Astrobiology #Enceladus #IcyWorlds

Dr Grace Richards is a former PhD student who researched the feasibility of in situ volatile analysis to investigate space weathering on Enceladus’ surface.

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AstrobiologyOU @astrobiologyou.bsky.social · Sep 8

This week is #EPSCDPS2025. Today Rachael is presenting her discovery of a new metastable hydrate of sodium chloride formed by rapid freezing of salty water.

A breakthrough in linking surface chemistry to subsurface ocean processes!

#PlanetaryScience #Astrobiology #IcyWorlds

Dr Rachael Hamp is post doc investigating the geochemistry of icy moons, such as Enceladus and Europa.
A photo of a blond woman, smiling into the camera in front of a brightly coloured wall

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AstrobiologyOU @astrobiologyou.bsky.social · Sep 5

Just some of the incredible scenery seen throughout the field trip to Iceland in July!

(Group selfie included for the glacier visible in the background - honest!)

#fieldwork #Iceland #Sampling #icelandnature

Group selfie of 4 people smiling at the camera - with a glacier just visible in the background

undulating landscape with steaming hot pools and a clear blue sky

a large hill with multiple shades of green in the distance, a cloudy sky and trees in the foreground

Gullfoss Falls - a huge waterfall cutting through the landscape

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AstrobiologyOU @astrobiologyou.bsky.social · Sep 4

Fieldwork in Iceland, in July (Part 3)!

The team are at Geyser (again)!

This time sampling at Blesi, Orignal Geyser, Konungshver and Strokkur! Late evening into night sampling of the aerosols and water. With an addition of a gorgeous sunrise at 3.15am!

#fieldwork #Iceland #sampling #sunrise

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AstrobiologyOU @astrobiologyou.bsky.social · Sep 3

Mark, Angus, Hannah and Mirandah are sampling at Geyser, Iceland! Specifically Strokkur!

It erupts (roughly) every nine minutes! A mix of day and night sampling of the aerosols. With the Osaris during the day as well as the Bertin Coriolis Micro samplers over night

#fieldwork #Iceland #sampling

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AstrobiologyOU @astrobiologyou.bsky.social · Sep 2

Fieldwork in Iceland, in July (Part 1)!

The sun (almost) never sets, and the data collection is great! Mark, Angus, Hannah and Mirandah's embark on their fieldwork!

Flights, cramming all the equipment in the hire car, to the first field site "spring 4".

#fieldwork #iceland #sampling

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AstrobiologyOU @astrobiologyou.bsky.social · Sep 1

In July, Mark, Angus and Hannah were joined by Mirandah from @freieuniversitaet.bsky.social in Iceland to collect data to help us understand the icy worlds of the outer Solar System!

Angus, explains some of what they got up to and why Iceland is the place to be!

#fieldwork #Iceland

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AstrobiologyOU @astrobiologyou.bsky.social · Jul 4

🚨 PhD Studentship 🚨

We have a PhD studentship in Analytical Tools within Contamination in Spacecraft & Satellite Industry open for applications

Find out more: university.open.ac.uk/employment/n...

Deadline: 1 August 17.00

Apply now button being clicked by a pointed finger

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AstrobiologyOU @astrobiologyou.bsky.social · May 29

If you love science and want to learn more, our colleagues have launched a super video series about the OU's science module S111 Questions in science.

Check out the final of the series 'What is bad science?'

👇

Questions in science - What is Bad Science?

In this video we explore the difference between good and bad science, examine the scientific method, the value of repeatable experiments and the importance o...

youtu.be

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AstrobiologyOU @astrobiologyou.bsky.social · May 22

If you love science and want to learn more, our colleagues have launched a super video series about the OU's science module S111 Questions in science.

Check out the tenth in the series 'Why does the Sun shine?'

👇

Questions in science - Why does the Sun shine?

In this video we explore the cosmic event that triggered the formation of the sun, the physics behind nuclear fusion and the remarkable physics behind sun’s ...

youtu.be

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AstrobiologyOU @astrobiologyou.bsky.social · May 15

If you love science and want to learn more, our colleagues have launched a super video series about the OU's science module S111 Questions in science.

Check out the ninth in the series 'Can we lead a chemical-free life?'

👇

Questions in science - Can we lead a chemical-free life?

In this video we explore the concept of chemicals as the fundamental building blocks of everything around us, why some chemicals are hazardous and difference...

youtu.be

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AstrobiologyOU @astrobiologyou.bsky.social · May 8

If you love science and want to learn more, our colleagues have launched a super video series about the OU's science module S111 Questions in science.

Check out the eighth in the series 'Are waves everywhere?'

👇

Questions in science - Are waves everywhere?

In this video we explore the diverse nature of waves, the electromagnetic spectrum and how animals like bats and dolphins have harnessed the power of sound w...

youtu.be

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