NSHE Secures $750,000 NASA EPSCoR Grant for Research into Underground Ecosystems That Could Inform the Search for Life Beyond Earth

The Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE) has secured a $750,000 grant from NASA’s Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) to study unique underground ecosystems powered by radiation instead of sunlight. The findings could help guide NASA’s search for life beneath the surfaces of Mars and icy worlds elsewhere in the solar system.

“This award highlights the strength of our institutions and the talent of Nevada’s researchers,” said Board of Regents Chair Byron Brooks. “By working together, DRI, UNR, and UNLV are advancing discoveries that not only contribute to scientific progress but also strengthen Nevada’s role in meaningful research and innovation.”

Understanding Underground Ecosystems

The project will focus on what scientists call radiolytic ecosystems. Instead of sunlight, the energy that supports life comes from radiation splitting water. When this happens, it produces hydrogen and oxygen compounds that microbes can use as a source of energy, creating the foundation for life deep below the surface.

Why this Matters

With the exception of Earth, all known planetary surfaces are often too harsh for life; many scientists believe that the best chance of finding extraterrestrial life in our solar system is underground. Radiolysis may also have been an important energy source in Earth’s earliest ecosystems, making this project relevant both to the search for life elsewhere and to understanding the origins of life on our own planet.

The Nevada team will collect samples from underground sites in Nevada and the Southwest. They will then study them in the lab to see how microbial communities use radiation byproducts to survive. Their findings will help NASA refine strategies for detecting life in subsurface environments beyond Earth.

The project is a collaboration between NSHE institutions and NASA’s Ames Research Center. The research team is led by Duane Moser of DRI, with co-investigators Brian Hedlund of UNLV and Wendy Calvin of UNR, who bring expertise in subsurface microbiology, microbial ecophysiology, and planetary geology to the project. In addition to advancing planetary science, it will provide opportunities for postdoctoral fellows, graduate students, and undergraduates to participate in cutting-edge research.

“Driving research and innovation that solves problems and prepares students for the future is a key priority of the Board of Regents,” said NSHE Chancellor Matt McNair. “This project demonstrates how our institutions work together and partner with NASA to achieve both scientific discovery and student opportunity.”

“By studying how radiation fuels life in underground environments on Earth, we can better target where and how to search for life on Mars and icy worlds,” said Dr. Eric Wilcox, Nevada NASA EPSCoR project director. “The work also has the potential to shed light on how life began on Earth, which is one of the most profound questions in science.”

Media Availability: Please reach out to Elizabeth Callahan at ecallahan@nshe.nevada.edu or 702-522-7021 for additional details or interviews.