A team of scientists has proposed establishing a cryogenic biorepository on the Moon to preserve Earth’s biodiversity. This plan aims to safeguard endangered species against catastrophic events using the Moon’s cold, shadowed craters, which naturally maintain cryogenic temperatures without requiring electricity or liquid nitrogen.
Research led by the Smithsonian Institution, published in BioScience, highlights the Moon’s craters as ideal storage sites due to their extreme cold, which can effectively preserve biological material. The project, inspired by the Global Seed Vault in Norway, seeks to initially preserve endangered species, with hopes to eventually include many more.
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The lunar biorepository aims to provide a backup for Earth’s biodiversity against natural disasters and augment space travel. Challenges include protecting samples from radiation and microgravity effects, requiring further study.
