Recognizing that dust is a source of the stuff of life forces us to consider if dust and meteorites and other infalling material could also be the bringers of life. In a new paper in BioScience, Anthony Ricciardi and his colleagues consider the issues of microbiological contamination both of our world and others.

Riccardi points out that: Owing to their massive costs to resource sectors and human health, biological invasions are a global biosecurity issue requiring rigorous transboundary solutions.

And as that last story pointed out, our atmosphere is not the solution we need it to be.

Research looking at invasive species, like the murder hornets in the American northwest, shows us the essentials. Riccardi explains: Research in invasion science has produced novel insights for epidemiology, rapid evolution, the relationship between biodiversity and community stability, and the dynamics of predator–prey and parasite–host interactions, among many other concepts. Protocols for early detection, hazard assessment, rapid response, and containment procedures currently employed for invasive species on Earth could be adapted for dealing with potential extraterrestrial contaminants.

And this leads to a potentially new and fascinating interdisciplinary field: planetary biosecurity that brings together invasive species studying biologists and astrobiologist to try and protect our planet from potential invasion.

I have to say that I want this field to stay theoretical for a good long time, but I also really look forward to reading the papers coming out of these new collaborations.

More Information

The University of Adelaide press release

“Alien” invasions and the need for planetary biosecurity (EurekAlert)

“Planetary Biosecurity: Applying Invasion Science to Prevent Biological Contamination from Space Travel,” Anthony Ricciardi, Phillip Cassey, Stefan Leuko, and Andrew P Woolnough, 2021 November 17, BioScience