Special COG3 – Dr. Jenny Blamey

Extremophiles are organisms that can be found in places
with conditions that are so harsh, that traditional biology
would not expect to find any forms of life. Temperatures over
boiling point and under freezing point of water, alkaline and
acid pH conditions, extreme salinity and high pressures are
onlv a few of the extreme conditions that these organisms
must cope with in their daily survival.
They were discovered over half a century ago and up to
this date, the list of novel findings is growing exponentially.
These microbial communities that inhabit extreme
environments, including high and low temperatures
ecosystems such as those present in deep sea hypothermal
vents or the Dry Valleys and frozen lakes of Antarctica
respectively, have extended our definition of the habitability
zone and thus the search of potential extraterrestrial life.
Recent progress in biology of extremophiles and the
exploration of planetary bodies in the solar system are
leading to new insights in the field of Astrobiology and
possible distribution of life in the universe.

About this series: The Chemical Oceanography, Geology, Geochemistry, and Geobiology Seminar [COG3] is a student-run seminar series. Topics include chemical oceanography, geology, geochemistry, and geobiology. Contact cog3_seminar_organizers@mit.edu for more information and Zoom password.