{"id":214,"date":"2026-08-17T09:27:56","date_gmt":"2026-08-17T08:27:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/schools.stem.open.ac.uk\/environment-earth-ecosystem-sciences\/?page_id=214"},"modified":"2026-08-17T09:35:55","modified_gmt":"2026-08-17T08:35:55","slug":"astrobiology-laboratories","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/schools.stem.open.ac.uk\/environment-earth-and-ecosystem-sciences\/research\/analytical-facilities\/astrobiology-laboratories\/","title":{"rendered":"Astrobiology Laboratories"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Astrobiology Laboratories<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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The astrobiology facilities are furnished with standard equipment used to isolate and culture aerobic microorganisms; microbiological safety cabinets, autoclaves, microscopes, and an incubator room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes these laboratories stand out are our anaerobic microbiology capabilities. We have a gas purging station for creating anaerobic growth media, a separate dedicated anaerobic gas mix for charging Wheaton tube headspace, and both Don Whitley and Coy anaerobic chambers for inoculating and sub-culturing anaerobic microorganisms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our most recent addition to the laboratories is a series of MicrobeMeters used to determine the optical density of anaerobic microorganisms in-situ.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"Microbiological<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Molecular Biology Laboratories<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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Many samples analysed in the Astrobiology Laboratories originate from extreme environments across the world. Extracting nucleic acids from these habitats takes patience and a great deal of method development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To prevent cross-contamination our facilities separate out nucleic acid extraction, PCR preparation and PCR into three distinct areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Coming soon: a facility dedicated to extracting nucleic acid from low-biomass environments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Equipment of interest includes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n