{"id":26876,"date":"2026-03-12T09:56:31","date_gmt":"2026-03-12T16:56:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/?p=26876"},"modified":"2026-04-30T12:56:56","modified_gmt":"2026-04-30T19:56:56","slug":"how-does-life-begin-and-could-it-exist-outside-of-earth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/how-does-life-begin-and-could-it-exist-outside-of-earth\/","title":{"rendered":"How does life begin \u2014 and could it exist outside of Earth?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n    \n                                                    \n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--article-hero \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--article-hero\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n<div class=\"inner-wrapper\">\n          \n<div class=\"f--field f--image\">\n\n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n              \n      <img\n                            data-src=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/03\/56_dd_discovering-life-top-768x432.jpg\"\n          data-srcset=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/03\/56_dd_discovering-life-top-1920x1080.jpg 1920w,https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/03\/56_dd_discovering-life-top-1280x720.jpg 1280w,https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/03\/56_dd_discovering-life-top-768x432.jpg 768w\"          data-sizes=\"(min-width:1200px) 75vw, (min-width:768px) 83vw, 100vw\"          class=\"lazyload\"\n        \n                  alt=\"Photos of bubbling ocean water, an erupting volcano, and a planet\u2019s surface.\"\n        \n        \n                                      \/>\n\n    \n    \n  \n  \n\n<\/div>\n  \n      <div class=\"image-caption\">\n          \n<div class=\"f--field f--description\">\n\n    \n  New research is revealing that places once considered hostile to life, such as volcanoes, could be home to it. (Composite: Letty Avila. Image Source: iStock.)\n\n\n<\/div>\n    <\/div>\n  \n  <div class=\"text-wrapper\">\n          <nav aria-label=\"Breadcrumb\" class=\"breadcrumbs\">\n        <ul>\n                      <li><a href=\"\/news\/stories\/\">News<\/a><\/li>\n                      <li><a href=\"\/news\/stories\/\/?category=science-and-technology\">Science and Technology<\/a><\/li>\n                  <\/ul>\n      <\/nav>\n    \n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--page-title\">\n\n    \n  <h1>How does life begin \u2014 and could it exist outside of Earth?<\/h1>\n\n\n<\/div>\n    \n          <div class=\"subtitle\">\n            \n<div class=\"f--field f--description\">\n\n    \n  A recent Dornsife Dialogues event explored the new research which is uncovering life in unexpected places. \n\n\n<\/div>\n      <\/div>\n    \n           <strong class=\"author-field\"><span >By<\/span><a href=\"mailto:communication@dornsife.usc.edu\">USC Dornsife News<\/a><\/strong>\n    \n          <span class=\"post-date-field\">March 12, 2026<\/span>\n      <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--social-share \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--social-share\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n  <div class=\"content-wrapper\">\n    <span class=\"a2a_kit a2a_kit_size_32 addtoany_list\" style=\"line-height: 32px;\">\n      <span class=\"title\">\n        Share\n      <\/span>\n                        <a class=\"a2a_button_copy_link\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/#copy_link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"Link\">\n            <span class=\"a2a_svg a2a_s__default a2a_s_copy_link\">\n              <svg height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 19 19\" width=\"19\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"m7.43475275 9.52380952-2.17490843 2.26076008c-1.08745421 1.058837-1.68841575 2.518315-1.68841575 4.0350275 0 1.5167124.60096154 2.9475732 1.68841575 4.0350274 1.058837 1.0874543 2.51831502 1.6884158 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xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"m8.14285714 9.42857143c-.17142857 0-.34285714 0-.51428571.08571428l7.28571427 6.34285719c.3428572.2571428.6857143.2571428.9428572 0l7.2857142-6.34285719c-.0857142-.08571428-.2571428-.08571428-.4285714-.08571428zm-1.28571428 1.11428567v.1714286 8.5714286c0 .6857143.6 1.2857143 1.28571428 1.2857143h14.57142856c.6857143 0 1.2857143-.6 1.2857143-1.2857143v-8.5714286c0-.0857143 0-.0857143 0-.1714286l-7.2 6.3428572c-.7714286.6857143-1.8857143.6857143-2.6571429 0z\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\" transform=\"translate(-6 -9)\"\/><\/svg>\n            <\/span>\n            <span class=\"a2a_label visually-hidden\">Email<\/span>\n          <\/a>\n                  <\/span>\n  <\/div>\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n \n\n\n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--rich-text \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--rich-text\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n      \n<div class=\"f--field f--wysiwyg\">\n\n    \n  <p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A recent Dornsife Dialogues conversation hosted by the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences explored two big questions: How does life begin \u2014 and where else in the universe it might it exist?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The conversation, led by USC Dornsife Dean <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/our-leadership\/james-bullock\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">James Bullock<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, included alumna <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/could-alien-worlds-hold-life\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Laurie Barge<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, a senior research scientist in astrobiology at NASA\u2019s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/profile\/karen-lloyd\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Karen Lloyd<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, Wrigley Chair in <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/environmental-studies\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Environmental Studies<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and professor of <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/earth\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Earth sciences<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"video-embed\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Discovering Life in Unexpected Places\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/kwvxYkv92A0?si=jAIp8ATE7Wqab1mZ\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Both are conducting research that\u2019s changing our understanding of what makes for habitable conditions. Life, they argue, may not require sunlight or even abundant energy, only the right chemical conditions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lloyd focuses on life deep beneath Earth\u2019s surface. Using modern DNA sequencing tools, she and her team have discovered entirely new branches of microbial life.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These \u201cnovel phyla\u201d are thriving in extreme environments, from highly alkaline deep-sea mud volcanoes to ancient Siberian permafrost frozen for 120,000 years. Some microbes appear to survive on energy levels far below what scientists once thought possible. Her new book, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/magazine\/buried-alive\/\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Intraterrestrials: Discovering the Strangest Life on Earth<\/span><\/i><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, covers this journey of discovery.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"buzzsprout-player-18817795\"><\/div>\n<p><script src=\"https:\/\/www.buzzsprout.com\/2126441\/episodes\/18817795-discovering-life-in-unexpected-places.js?container_id=buzzsprout-player-18817795&#038;player=small\" type=\"text\/javascript\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In her lab, Barge is recreating hydrothermal vents, mineral \u201cchimneys\u201d similar to those on the ocean floor, to test how early chemical reactions could have generated energy and organic molecules on Earth \u2014 and possibly on worlds like Mars or Saturn\u2019s moon Enceladus. She\u2019s exploring whether life\u2019s building blocks can form without biology and what measurable \u201cbiosignatures\u201d future space missions should seek when they look for life on other planets.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For Barge, who completed her PhD in 2009 at USC Dornsife, these emerging discoveries give her a sense of optimism. \u201cIt makes me feel less alone. We\u2019re less alone than we even thought we were here on our own planet,\u201d she says. \u201cSpending all my time thinking about it really gives me a lot of hope, and I see a lot of possibilities and interesting questions.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n  \n        \n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--article-related-stories \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--article-related-stories\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n  <div class=\"inner-wrapper\">\n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--section-title\">\n\n    \n  <h2>\n          Related Articles\n      <\/h2>\n\n\n<\/div>\n    \n                  <article>\n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--cta-title\">\n\n    \n  <h3>\n          <a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/eaton-fire-sent-a-pollution-wave-across-los-angeles\/\" \n                        class=\"\" \n      >Eaton fire sent a pollution wave across Los Angeles<\/a>\n      <\/h3>\n\n\n<\/div>\n        <\/article>\n              <article>\n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--cta-title\">\n\n    \n  <h3>\n          <a href=\"https:\/\/today.usc.edu\/how-hidden-factors-beneath-istanbul-shape-earthquake-risk\/\" \n         target=\"_blank\"                 class=\"\" \n      >How hidden factors beneath Istanbul shape earthquake risk<\/a>\n      <\/h3>\n\n\n<\/div>\n        <\/article>\n              <article>\n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--cta-title\">\n\n    \n  <h3>\n          <a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/post-wildfire-lead-testing-clean-project-grows-in-and-beyond-los-angeles\/\" \n                        class=\"\" \n      >USC Dornsife\u2019s post-wildfire lead testing initiative grows in and beyond L.A. County<\/a>\n      <\/h3>\n\n\n<\/div>\n        <\/article>\n            <\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A recent Dornsife Dialogues event explored the new research which is uncovering life in unexpected places. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":52,"featured_media":26878,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[51,10,16],"tags":[159,54,1968,91],"class_list":["post-26876","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-alumni","category-faculty","category-science-and-technology","tag-earth-sciences","tag-events","tag-physical-sciences","tag-video"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.1.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>How does life begin \u2014 and could it exist outside of Earth?<\/title>\n<meta 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