Hi everyone!
As @rtscott2001 suggested, with @agata.rudolf and @fumimuratani, we wanted to share here our new paper recently published in Interface Focus: Evolution in space: experimental pathways to understanding life’s adaptability beyond Earth
Available open access here: https://royalsocietypublishing.org/rsfs/article/15/6/20250026/366158/Evolution-in-space-experimental-pathways-to
The aim of this paper was to highlight the importance of developing evolutionary studies in space. In particular, these study can help to better address two main questions that are still largely unresolved: can we predict (or as least have a better idea of) the evolutionary trajectories that life as we know it may take in space and on other planets? How humans and life will survive and evolve over the long term in space and on other planets? (which is particularly relevant for space travel)?
To answer these questions, we need data, and the good news is that we already have some. Existing studies provide evidence that species, in particular prokaryotes, with few evidences for eukaryotes, can evolve in space, but they also clearly show that more experiments are needed if we want to fully understand which evolutionary pathways life may take beyond. Currently, analog experiments and the ISS remain our best experimental setups to explore these questions.
In this paper, we first discuss core evolutionary principles, including the most recent ones (e.g. developmental bias, plasticity) and why they are relevant to space biology. Then we review evidence for evolution in space and what all the experiments carried-out abord the ISS (a LOT from @nasagenelab!) can tell us so far about it. Finally, we talk about broader implications related to space research, including astrobiology but also planetary protection.
We really hope you will like it and we welcome any comments or ideas!