biostudies-literatureCassaro ADeutsche ForschungsgemeinschaftAgenzia Spaziale Italiana2938-2950https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC9540993biostudies-literatureUnknown24(7)The Moon is characterized by extremely harsh conditions due to ultraviolet irradiation, wide temperature extremes, vacuum resulting from the absence of an atmosphere and high ionizing radiation. Therefore, its surface may provide a unique platform to investigate the effects of such conditions. For lunar exploration with the Lunar Gateway platform, exposure experiments in Low Earth Orbit are useful testbeds to prepare for lunar space experiments and to understand how and if potential biomarkers are influenced by extra-terrestrial conditions. During the BIOMEX (BIOlogy and Mars EXperiment) project, dried colonies of the fungus Cryomyces antarcticus grown on Lunar Regolith Analogue (LRA) were exposed to space conditions for 16 months aboard the EXPOSE-R2 payload outside the International SpacEnvironmental microbiologyInvestigation of fungal biomolecules after Low Earth Orbit exposure: a testbed for the next Moon missions.PMC95409934266012422013‐063‐R.0Cassaro APacelli CSaladino Rde Vera JPOnofri SGasparotto GBottger URabbow ECavalazzi BBotta LBaque MfalseInvestigation of fungal biomolecules after Low Earth Orbit exposure: a testbed for the next Moon missions.The Moon is characterized by extremely harsh conditions due to ultraviolet irradiation, wide temperature extremes, vacuum resulting from the absence of an atmosphere and high ionizing radiation. Therefore, its surface may provide a unique platform to investigate the effects of such conditions. For lunar exploration with the Lunar Gateway platform, exposure experiments in Low Earth Orbit are useful testbeds to prepare for lunar space experiments and to understand how and if potential biomarkers are influenced by extra-terrestrial conditions. During the BIOMEX (BIOlogy and Mars EXperiment) project, dried colonies of the fungus Cryomyces antarcticus grown on Lunar Regolith Analogue (LRA) were exposed to space conditions for 16 months aboard the EXPOSE-R2 payload outside the International Spac2022-01-01T00:00:00Z2022 Jul2025-04-22T01:59:33.099Z2025-04-05T20:11:07.56ZS-EPMC95409933543794110.1111/1462-2920.15995