Scientists propose 'Doomsday vault' on moon to save endangered species

Scientists believe that the 'doomsday vault' is a perfect way to store biodiversity samples on the moon, ensuring protection from natural disasters, wars, and socioeconomic threats, etc.

Scientists have proposed a unique solution to protect the biodiversity of Earth from the escalating threats of climate change, habitat destruction and other anthropogenic pressures – a lunar biorepository. 

This initiative aims to preserve some of the most vital and endangered species samples at the 'doomsday vault', proposed to be set up on the moon, to ensure their survival against potential terrestrial catastrophes. The doomsday vault provides a subterranean storage facility situated at the southern pole of the moon.

The temperature of the location is below -196 degrees Celsius which is essential for long-term cryopreservation without human involvement in the process.

The idea was reportedly inspired from the Svalbard Global Seed Vault in Norway which is following a similar technique to ensure the survival of essential food crops. 

However, Svalbard has faced several issues, like flooding due to surges in global temperature, but this wouldn't impact the biorepository as it is protected from any sort of climate change, geopolitical conflicts, and other Earth-bound disasters.

The cryopreservation technologies freeze cells for hundreds of years but they remain alive. It is a tried and tested practice that has preserved several biological materials including DNA cells and even the whole functional organisms. This would initially protect the most at-risk animals with their plans to expand other organisms and plants. 

Dr John Bischof, a professor at the University of Minnesota and co-author of the study, mentioned that storing samples on the moon would ensure their protection from natural disasters, climate change, overpopulation, resource depletion, wars, and socioeconomic threats. "This biorepository provides a parallel approach to conserving Earth’s precious biodiversity," he added. 

The researchers believe that this major step would not only protect biodiversity but also support future space exploration and potential transforming efforts. These samples would be essential for the production of the food, filtration, microbial break and ecosystem engineering in space. 

The next big step is to develop packaging for cryopreserved samples that withstand space conditions, organise the logistics and transport these samples to the moon. 

This has attracted the attention of several scientific communities marking it a pivotal step to ensure biodiversity preservation for future generations.

With humanity faced with several unprecedented challenges, the scientists and researchers are looking at innovative ways to preserve biodiversity and ensure continuity of life.