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Presentation

The presence of life on Earth is directly related to both the origin and evolution of the Solar System and the initial conditions in the molecular cloud from which we originated. The life as it is known on Earth originated from complex chemical reactions, likely outcome of the interaction of organic molecules and inert material coming from space.

Arcetri Astrobiology Laboratory is part of INAF - Astrophysical Observatory of Arcetri in Florence, Italy. The lab is currently hosted in the Garbasso historical building on the Arcetri hill (former Department of Astrophysics and Space Science until 2013 nowadays part of Department of Physics and Astronomy of the University of Florence).

The Arcetri Astrobiology Laboratory environments host a series of physical and chemical instruments for the astrobiological and planetological study under simulated space conditions. The lab was also selected in the past for the analysis of samples carried to the Earth by sample return space missions. A sample preparation facility and an extensive collection of analog materials complement the laboratory facilities.