Astrobiology Lab. at the University of Bologna: ongoing projects and perspectives

The Astrobiology Laboratory at the Universita di Bologna has diverse interests ` in multiple areas of research, including the study of planetary field analogues for space exploration, the geomicrobiological characterisation of biosignatures in modern and ancient extreme environments, and the analysis of Earth’s oldest traces of life using high-resolution correlative microscopy approaches. This research is focussed on developing methods for life detection, with a particular focus on the search for fossilised life on Mars, which is considered the primary astrobiology target for the coming decades. This contribution briefly reviews the research accomplished by the group and describes ongoing projects.