High-altitude air sample collector

PUNE: Life and its origin has always been a topic of debate among creationists and evolutionists. While evolutionists argue that life evolved from a single-cell organism, creationists are firm in their belief that it was God that created the Earth and all life on it.

Even scientists are divided on the topic. Some believe life entirely originated and evolved on earth, while others think it came from somewhere else in the universe.

Now, a group of scientists has set out to add another layer to this debate by studying microbes in high altitude air. Scientists from the Indian Space Research Organization ( Isro ), National Centre for Cell Science (NCSS), Inter-University Centre For Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA) and the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research have banded together to conduct an astrobiology balloon experiment.

“We are in the discussion stage. The Isro experts are designing the sample collection device. This device will be validated at NCCS, Pune. If all goes well, the balloon will be launched in October next year,” Dr Yogesh Shouche, in charge of National Centre for Microbial Resource at NCCS, said.

The experiment will collect air sample from high altitudes and trace origin of live microbes. This experiment is driven by the Hoyle-Wickramasinghe Hypothesis, proposed by Sir Fred Hoyle and Prof. Chandra Wickramsinghe, which states that comets serve as agents for seeding life on Earth. The microorganisms contained in comet tails are trapped in Earth’s atmosphere and slowly settle on Earth. Their hypothesis also states that this seeding continues even today and epidemics like SARS have an extraterrestrial origin.

Years ago, astrophycisist Jayant Narlikar had said that a way to validate the hypothesis is look for viable microbes in the upper layers of atmosphere. Two exercises were conducted in 2001 and 2005 and they proved the presence of microbes in air at higher altitudes . The new exercise will try to ascertain whether the microbes are terrestrial or extraterrestrial in nature.

