Life-supporting energy and nutrients on Titan could come from its surface and core. Organic matter from Titan’s atmosphere deposits on the surface, and as it sinks into the ocean, it could react with water. Impact melt pools and primordial materials released from the core over time may also contribute.
This suggests that abiotic organic carbon might enable life by fueling biomass creation in Titan’s ocean. Glycine fermentation is a potential metabolism that could occur, as glycine can reach the ocean, and anaerobic processes don’t require strong oxidants—likely absent on Titan.
A new study using bioenergetic modeling found that while glycine fermentation might occur on Titan, it largely depends on temperature. Researchers, led by Antonin Affholder from the University of Arizona and Peter Higgins from Harvard, aimed to explore what life on Titan could look like, its potential locations, and how much might exist.
The study suggests that Titan’s massive subsurface ocean, estimated to be around 300 miles deep, might host microscopic life-consuming organic material. However, researchers conclude that Titan could only support a minimal amount of biomass—likely just a few pounds.
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While Titan is rich in organic molecules, the team highlights that not all these organics may be viable food sources for life. Additionally, the vast size of the ocean and limited interaction between its surface and deeper layers complicate the availability of nutrients, emphasizing the need for a more detailed and cautious understanding of life potential on Titan.
The research focused on a simple approach to life on Titan, exploring fermentation as a possible metabolic process. Fermentation, used in making bread and beer and even spoiling food, only needs organic molecules and doesn’t require oxygen, unlike respiration.
Fermentation likely developed early in Earth’s history, allowing life to utilize organic molecules left over from its formation without relying on speculative mechanisms.
Researchers now ask: could similar microbes exist on Titan?
They are exploring whether Titan’s subsurface ocean could host a biosphere fueled by its abundant abiotic organic molecules produced in the atmosphere, collected on the surface, and potentially present in the core.
Researchers focused on glycine, a simple organic molecule, as a potential nutrient source for life on Titan. Only a small portion of Titan’s organic material might be suitable for microbes, and glycine-dependent life would rely on a steady molecule supply from the surface through Titan’s thick ice.
Earlier studies suggested meteorite impacts might create “melt pools,” which sink through the ice and deliver materials to the subsurface ocean.
Journal Reference:
- Antonin Affholder, Peter M. Higgins, Charles S. Cockell, Catherine Neish, Krista M. Soderlund, Michael J. Malaska, Kendra K. Farnsworth, Rosaly M. C. Lopes, Conor A. Nixon, Mohit Melwani Daswani, et al. The Viability of Glycine Fermentation in Titan’s Subsurface Ocean. The Planetary Science Journal. DOI 10.3847/PSJ/adbc66
Source: Tech Explorist
