New research led by scientists at the Smithsonian proposes a plan to safeguard Earth’s imperiled biodiversity by cryogenically preserving biological material on the moon. The moon’s permanently shadowed craters are cold enough for cryogenic preservation without the need for electricity or liquid nitrogen, according to the researchers. The paper, published in BioScience, outlines a roadmap to create a lunar biorepository, including ideas for governance, the types of biological material to be stored, and a plan for experiments to understand and address challenges such as radiation and microgravity. The study also demonstrates the successful cryopreservation of skin samples from a fish, which are now stored at the National Museum of Natural History.
The proposal takes inspiration from the Global Seed Vault in Svalbard, Norway, which contains more than 1 million frozen seed varieties and functions as a backup for the world’s crop biodiversity in case of global disaster. By virtue of its location in the Arctic nearly 400 feet underground, the vault was intended to be capable of keeping its seed collection frozen without electricity. However, in 2017, thawing permafrost threatened the collection with a flood of meltwater. Unlike seeds, animal cells require much lower storage temperatures for preservation. Cryopreservation of animal cells requires a supply of liquid nitrogen, electricity, and human staff. To reduce vulnerabilities, scientists needed a way to passively maintain cryopreservation storage temperatures, leading them to look to the moon.
The moon’s polar regions feature numerous craters that never receive sunlight, making them cold enough for passive cryopreservation storage. To block out DNA-damaging radiation present in space, samples could be stored underground or inside a structure with thick walls made of moon rocks. The research team cryopreserved skin samples from a reef fish called the starry goby, with the fins containing fibroblasts, the primary material to be stored in the biorepository. Fibroblasts have advantages over other types of cells commonly cryopreserved, making them an ideal choice for preservation efforts. Next steps include radiation exposure tests for the cryopreserved fibroblasts on Earth to help design packaging for safe delivery to the moon.
The researchers envision the lunar biorepository as a public entity with cooperative governance, similar to the Svalbard Global Seed Bank, including public and private funders, scientific partners, countries, and public representatives. The goal is to preserve Earth’s biodiversity in the event of natural disasters and potentially contribute to space travel. The study was co-authored by researchers from the National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, National Museum of Natural History, National Air and Space Museum, as well as collaborators from other institutions. The team is seeking partners and support to conduct additional experiments on Earth and aboard the International Space Station for testing the prototype packaging’s ability to withstand radiation and microgravity associated with space travel and storage on the moon.
