Society for Cryobiology: The Passive Lunar Cryorepository Project

Could the Moon become a backup drive for life on Earth?

You’ve heard about plans for a lunar biobank, but what would it actually take to preserve Earth’s biodiversity off-world?

Speakers Mary Hagedorn (Smithsonian Institution and ATP-Bio SAB Member), Heath Mills (Rhodium Scientific), and  Garret Fitzpatrick (Center for Astrophysics, Harvard University) will discuss an overview of the proposed project before diving deeper into engineering aspects of the lunar mission and the effects of spaceflight on preservation of different cell types and related logistical considerations.

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ATP-Bio’s work in biopreservation is reaching beyond Earth

We encourage the cryo-community to attend and share the Society for Cryobiology webinar, “The Passive Lunar Cryorepository Project,” on Wednesday, September 23 at 12:00 p.m. CT.

The webinar is especially relevant to ATP-Bio’s growing impact in biodiversity preservation. NSF supplemental funding is supporting ATP-Bio investigator Mary Hagedorn’s project, “Building Space-Ready Biopreservation Technologies: Validating Cryopreservation Under Real Space Conditions Using the International Space Station National Laboratory.” This work is helping advance technologies needed to preserve Earth’s biodiversity under the unique conditions of space and supports the broader vision of a lunar biorepository.

During the webinar, Mary Hagedorn, Garret Fitzpatrick, and Heath Mills will explore the scientific, engineering, and logistical challenges involved in making a lunar biorepository a reality—including the provocative question: Could the Moon become a backup for life on Earth?

Please consider attending and help amplify this event by sharing it with trainees, students, faculty, colleagues, industry partners, and professional networks who may be interested in cryobiology, biodiversity preservation, space science, and biopreservation.