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Stewart Gault

@tastrobiologist.bsky.social
78 followers 156 following 6 posts

Astrobiologist at the University of Edinburgh, trying to understand the limits to life in multi-extreme environments.

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Stewart Gault @tastrobiologist.bsky.social · 24/03/2026
I'm absolutely thrilled to share that I've been awarded an HFSP Fellowship to explore the biophysical limits to life in deep subzero environments and how these limits inform our understanding of the cryosphere during climate change and the habitability of icy environments in our solar system.
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PLOS One @plosone.org · 19/12/2025
A study by @tastrobiologist.bsky.social and Charles Cockell uses high-pressure differential scanning calorimetry to show that bacterial cells in subzero high-pressure environments can remain liquidous, and potentially metabolically active, and not merely vitrified and preserved. plos.io/3Y3QGP6
doi.org
High pressures depress the onset of intracellular vitrification
The low temperature limit for life remains elusive and poorly understood. This ignorance is further compounded when applied to life in multi-extreme environments where low temperatures combine with…
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Stewart Gault @tastrobiologist.bsky.social · 19/12/2025
Happy to share my latest paper in @plosone.org, we looked at how high presssures affect the intracellular vitrification (Tg') of microbial cells and how this informs our understanding of the habitability of multi-extreme environments. journals.plos.org/plosone/arti... #astrobiology #cryobiology
journals.plos.org
High pressures depress the onset of intracellular vitrification
The low temperature limit for life remains elusive and poorly understood. This ignorance is further compounded when applied to life in multi-extreme environments where low temperatures combine with fa...
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Cameron Thrash @jcamthrash.bsky.social · 19/09/2025
Thermodynamics shapes the in vivo enzyme burden of glycolytic pathways journals.asm.org/doi/full/10.... #jcampubs
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Seán Jordan @seanfj.bsky.social · 13/09/2025
I wrote some thoughts on NASA's most recent announcement about 'potential biosignatures' on Mars in the Irish Independent today: www.independent.ie/irish-news/d... @protosignslab.bsky.social @erc.europa.eu @researchireland.ie @dcu-lsi.bsky.social @dcuresearch.bsky.social
independent.ie
Dr Seán Jordan: Was there ancient life on Mars? My DCU team are doing our bit to assess Nasa’s latest discovery
On Wednesday, Nasa announced that the Perseverance rover had identified potential biosignatures – signs of ancient life – on Mars.
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AstrobiologyOU @astrobiologyou.bsky.social · 12/09/2025
World Space Week 2025 is nearly here We’ve got talks, videos & more exploring careers, ethics & planetary protection. Join us all week to celebrate space! 4 - 10 October Full details and registration info coming soon. #WorldSpaceWeek #SpaceForEveryone
World Space Week 2025
4 - 10 October

Protecting the Solar System
You Don’t Have to be an Astronaut to Work in Space
Astrobiology Ethics
Online resources 
Much more...
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Stewart Gault @tastrobiologist.bsky.social · 02/09/2025
The multiple extremes of temperature, salt and pH define narrower limits to microbial growth in Halomonas hydrothermalis than individual extremes | International Journal of Astrobiology | Cambridge Core - www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
cambridge.org
The multiple extremes of temperature, salt and pH define narrower limits to microbial growth in Halomonas hydrothermalis than individual extremes | International Journal of Astrobiology | Cambridge Co...
The multiple extremes of temperature, salt and pH define narrower limits to microbial growth in Halomonas hydrothermalis than individual extremes - Volume 24
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Seán Jordan @seanfj.bsky.social · 18/07/2025
Interested in moving/establishing your research group in Ireland? www.researchireland.ie/funding/glob... I'd love to see more #originoflife #astrobiology researchers join us here! Feel free to contact me directly to discuss! @abgradcon.bsky.social @oolen.bsky.social @dcuresearch.bsky.social
researchireland.ie
Global Talent Ireland - Research Ireland
Global Talent Ireland aims to attract exceptional mid-career and established researchers from across the globe to Ireland. Researchers funded through this programme are required to transfer their rese...
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Stewart Gault @tastrobiologist.bsky.social · 14/07/2025
Excited to share my latest preprint just in time for #FEMS2025 ! This preprint is the start of a series of work I've been doing trying to understand the biophysical limits to life in extreme environments. So come have a chat at FEMS if you're interested in extremophile biophysics.
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Dennis Hansen @dennish.bsky.social · 26/03/2025
Abandoning everything you stood for, just to not make fascist billionaires and anti-science crusaders uncomfortable - well done, @royalsociety.org - it takes talent to be SO utterly pathetic and cowardly. www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
theguardian.com
Royal Society decides not to take disciplinary action against Elon Musk
Exclusive: Fellows argue Musk has violated code of conduct but council believes investigation ‘could do more harm than good’
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AstrobiologyOU @astrobiologyou.bsky.social · 20/03/2025
🚨PhD Opportunity🚨 We have a UKSA funded PhD - "To the Lifeboats: Fluid inclusions as the last habitable environments on Mars" open for applications now! Closing date 10 April 2025 - 12.00 (midday) university.open.ac.uk/employment/n...
university.open.ac.uk
The Open University
Project Highlights: Investigate the preservation of life and its biosignatures in fluid inclusions under Mars-like conditions, informing the search for life on Mars. - Develop a unique skillset in mic...
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Derek Lowe @dereklowe.bsky.social · 05/02/2025
I’ve unfortunately needed to add more material to my post from yesterday. The re-election of Donald Trump is looking like the biggest act of American self-destruction since the Civil War. Same link, new title and some updates.
science.org
Revised and Extended: What's Happening Inside the NIH and NSF
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Nature Neuroscience @natneuro.nature.com · 07/01/2025
Mice lacking microglia (Csf1r∆FIRE/∆FIRE) have normal -synapse number and maturation -seizure susceptibility and hippocampal-prefrontal cortex coherence -segregation of inputs into the lateral geniculate nucleus -neuronal and astrocytic gene expression www.nature.com/articles/s41...
nature.com
Typical development of synaptic and neuronal properties can proceed without microglia in the cortex and thalamus - Nature Neuroscience
Microglia are proposed to have a role in brain development through synaptic engulfment and paracrine signaling. O’Keeffe et al. show that certain neurodevelopmental processes attributed to microglia c...
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Stewart Gault @tastrobiologist.bsky.social · 07/01/2025
First Bluesky post to share my partner's first first-author paper! www.nature.com/articles/s41...
nature.com
Typical development of synaptic and neuronal properties can proceed without microglia in the cortex and thalamus - Nature Neuroscience
Microglia are proposed to have a role in brain development through synaptic engulfment and paracrine signaling. O’Keeffe et al. show that certain neurodevelopmental processes attributed to microglia c...
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