Life on Titan cannot rely on cell membranes, according to computational simulations
Researchers from Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, have made a new contribution to the ongoing search into the possibility of life on Titan, Saturn’s largest moon. Using quantum mechanical calculations, they have shown that azotosomes, a proposed alternative form to conventional cell membranes, could not form under the conditions there. Their research is published in the journal Science Advances.
Titan, Saturn’s largest moon, has a dynamic surface, with seasonal rainfall, and lakes and seas at its polar regions, as well as a dense, nitrogen-rich atmosphere. These similarities to