Scientists proposed to create a lunar biorepository as a "backup" for life on Earth: what is known

With thousands of species threatened with extinction, scientists have come up with a radical plan: a lunar-based repository filled with preserved specimens of our planet's most important creatures. They say it's important to have a facility out of reach of climate change and other events on earth.

An international panel of experts says threats from climate change and habitat loss have outpaced our ability to protect species in their natural habitats, requiring urgent action. A biorepository of preserved cells and the important DNA in them could be used to increase genetic diversity in small populations of endangered species or to clone and create new individuals in a worst-case extinction scenario, The Guardian writes.

A vault to protect biological samples from disaster is not a new idea. The Svalbard Global Seed Vault on the remote Norwegian island above the Arctic Circle provides frozen seed storage to ensure that important food crops can be recovered if they are destroyed by disease or drought. However, recent flooding from high temperatures has shown that even Svalbard is not immune to the effects of climate change.

"If there were no people there, flooding could damage the biorepository," said Mary Hagedorn, lead author of the proposal. War is also a threat to biorepositories on Earth, she noted, citing the destruction of a seed bank in Ukraine in 2022. "In general, the idea of having a really safe, passive biorepository to preserve Earth's biodiversity seems like a really good idea."

The proposed lunar biorepository would be out of the reach of climate disruptions, geopolitical events or other Earthly disasters. The moon's naturally cold environment means that samples would remain frozen year-round without human intervention or energy source. The Moon is one of the few places that can provide the ultra-low temperature of -196C needed to preserve samples in a way suitable for future cloning.

In addition to those facing imminent extinction, the proposed repository would prioritize species that serve important functions in the environment and food webs. Through careful selection, those housed could be used to restore an extinct population on Earth or even to theraform another planet.

Hagedorn believes that the biorepository proposal will be realized, though perhaps not in our lifetime: "We know how to do it, and we can do it, and we will do it, but the final achievement may take a decade," the scientist explains.

Crucial next steps will be to develop packaging for cryopreserved samples that can withstand the conditions of space, and to develop logistics for transporting samples to the moon.

Envisioning a near future when exploration of lunar resources will mean more frequent space travel, Hagedorn suggested that delivering small packages with thousands of cryopreserved samples could be added to existing trips.

Since most of the proposals are still science fiction, the scientists say they hope their paper will spark interest, new ideas and new international partners - and perhaps a little controversy - over the extreme actions needed to protect biodiversity.

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