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Students Contest "Space Factor"
Since 2011, the EANA Students Contest "Space Factor" has been organized during the annual EANA Astrobiology Conference by Dr. Ralf Moeller, Institute of Aerospace Medicine, DLR. Since 2020, Marta Cortesão, DLR, continues to organize the contest, as one of several EANA education and support activities for young scientists in Astrobiology.
At each EANA conference, a session is dedicated solely to the EANA students contest, where early-career scientists (PhD students or Post-Docs) present their research to all other participants of the conference, being evaluated by five different astrobiology experts.

Poster Awards
It is a tradition of EANA to award prizes for the best posters presented by students and young scientists at the annual workshops. A distinguished team of astrobiologists evaluates the posters based the scientific and presentation quality.



The year 2021 was a special year - celebrating the 20th anniversary of EANA. Next to the EANA21 Outstanding Paper Award, at EANA21 several awards were given for the different types of virtual, scientific presentations. The prices were donated by the publishers Springer and Mary Ann Liebert, by Agência Espacial Portuguesa - Portugal Space, as well as by UNICAM SISTEMAS ANALÍTICOS. Next to the Space Factor contest (organized by Marta Cortesão) and the online poster session (organized by Ruth-Sophie Taubner), EANA21 also awarded the best scientific presentations from all oral presentations. The winners were awarded by EANA's President Barbara Cavalazzi during the closing session.



2021 Space Factor Students Contest
1st prize
Sebastian Victor Gfellner et al.
Introducing the FORAminifera Rocket EXperiment (FORAREX)

2nd prize
Bárbara Soares et al.
Composition of terrestrial planets orbiting M dwarfs

3rd prize
Marina Fernandez et al.
Interstellar phosphorus chemistry as a complex system: a theoretical approach to the formation of the simplest building blocks of life

4th prize
Hector Palomeque et al.
Ignicoccus hospitalis – understanding its extraordinary radiation tolerance and an unsolved archaeal repair system

2021 Poster Awards
List of awarded posters (random order): These posters were awarded with a book donated from Springer as well as a 1-year online subscription of Astrobiology, Mary Ann Liebert. These posters were also awarded with a book donated from Springer.

EANA 20th Anniversary Presentation Award


The 2020 conference was quite different to all previous meetings organized by EANA due the Covid-19 pandemic. The conference was organized as a virtual meeting, but still included an online edition of the Space Factor contest (organized by Marta Cortesão) as well as an online poster session (organized by Ruth-Sophie Taubner). We would like to thank our judges: Adrienne Kish, Ana Miller, Cyprien Versaux, Ewa Szuszkiewicz and Mickael Baqué. The winners were awarded with a cash prize and a book prize donated by the publisher Springer as well as by private book donations from Barbara Cavalazzi and Charles Cockell. The winners were awarded by EANA's President Barbara Cavalazzi and EANA Secretary Ruth-Sophie Taubner during the closing session.



2020 Space Factor Students Contest
1st prize
Bea Baharier, Julia Semprich, Karen Olsson-Francis, Jake R. Crandall, Justin Filiberto, Sally L. Potter-McIntyre, Scott Perl, and Susanne P.Schwenzer
From the San Rafael Swell to Mars

2nd prize
Arianna Ricchiuti and Fabio Pagan
Communicating Astrobiology: the role of Italian planetariums

3rd prize
Grace Richards, Victoria Pearson, Geraint Morgan, Manish Patel, and Simon Sheridan
Analysis of VOCs from Enceladus' surface ice

4th prize
Ophelia Gunn and Charles Cockell
The Effect of Anions on Brine Evaporite Morphologies and the Implications for Extraterrestrial Habitability

2020 Poster Awards
List of awarded posters (random order):

This 2019 student contributions were judged by Kai Finster, Adrienne Kish, Rocco Mancinelli, Elias Chatzitheodoridis, and Ewa Szuszkiewicz. The winners were awarded with a cash prize and a book prize donated by the publishers Springer and the International Journal of Astrobiology / Cambridge University Press. The winners were awarded by EANA`s President Barbara Cavalazzi and Students Contest chairs Lena Noack and Marta Cortesão during the closing session of EANA 2019.
1st prize
Stella Koch
Addressing the fungal contamination - testing antifungal materials and radiation-driven decontamination methods

2nd prize
Lora Jovanović
Pluto, a distant cousin of the primitive Earth?

3rd prize
Barnabé Cherville
Optimization of the LAb-CosmOrbitrap experiment negative ion mode



All posters of early career scientists were evaluated by a jury consisting of several members of EANA (Tetyana Milojevic, Kai Finster, Kensei Kobayashi, John Brucato, Ruth-Sophie Taubner, Ewa Szuszkiewicz, Barbara Cavalazzi, Mickael Baqué, and Elias Chatzitheodoridis).
The publishers Springer and Cambridge University Press/International Journal of Astrobiology donated the book prizes for the awardees. The winners were awarded by EANA's President Barbara Cavalazzi and the poster contest organizer Lena Noack during the closing session of EANA 2019.

List of awarded posters (random order):

We thank the jury members for evaluating the contributions of all ten participants of the "Space Factor" students contest. The jury consisted of several members of the EANA council and EANA members. The winners were awarded with a cash prize and a book prize donated by the publishers Springer and the International Journal of Astrobiology / Cambridge University Press. The winners were awarded by EANA`s President Frances Westall and Students Contest chairs Ralf Möller and Lena Noack during the closing session of EANA 2018.


All participants of the 2018 "Space Factor" students contest together with the EANA president Frances Westall (left) and student contest main organizer Ralf Möller (right) and the winner of the Kate Rubins - Space Microbiology Award.

1st prize
Peter M. Higgins and Charles Cockell
A New Model to Estimate Energy Flow and Biomass in Terrestrial and Extraterrestrial Environments

2nd prize
Marta Cortesao et al.
Fungi in space: Implications for astronaut health and planetary protection

3rd prize
Maria Cavallius et al.
Water Vapour in the Beta Pictoris Debris Disk

4th prize
Mariano Battistuzzi et al.
An experimental setup to study by remote sensing analyses cyanobacteria growth and photosynthetic performances under non-terrestrial simulated environments

5th prize
Arjen Boosman et al.
UV-induced methane and volatile organic carbon emission from the Murchison carbonaceous chondrite

In addition, two new prizes were awarded for early-career researcher presentations. The Kate Rubins - Space Microbiology Award for Young Researchers was awarded to Katharina Siems.


The winners of the new "Horneck-Brack-Award" donated by Frances Westall (2nd from left) and Jean-Pierre de Vera (right on the left picture). The winners are from left to right: Tim Lichtenberg, Dennis Höning and Nozair Khawaja (right picture).

A second new prize was given in the name of the founders of Astrobiology in Europe - the Horneck-Brack Award, initiated by Jean-Pierre de Vera and Karen Olsson-Francis.

1st prize
Nozair Khawaja et al.
Complex macromolecular organic material from the subsurface ocean of Enceladus

2nd prize
Tim Lichtenberg et al.
Gradual desiccation of rocky protoplanets from aluminum-26 heating

3rd prize
Dennis Höning et al.
Long-term water and carbon cycles and habitability of terrestrial planets

All posters of early career scientists were evaluated by a jury consisting of several members of EANA and DAbG.
The publisher Springer and the International Journal of Astrobiology / Cambridge University Press donated a book prize for all awardees. The winners were awarded by EANA`s President Frances Westall and the poster contest organizer Lena Noack during the closing session of EANA 2018.

List of awarded posters (random order):
  • Fabian Klenner et al.
    Analog Mass Spectra of Astrobiologically Relevant Organic Material for Spaceborne Mass Spectrometers
  • Sebastian Wolf et al.
    OREOcube - ORganics Exposure in Orbit: Photostability of organic molecules and biomarkers in space and planetary environments
  • Solmaz Adeli et al.
    Phyllosilicates and chlorides in evaporitic setting as key targets in the search for life on Mars
  • Jacob Heinz et al.
    Halotolerance of Planococcus halocryophilus in chloride and perchlorate brines
  • Prathana Desai et al.
    Development of Compact Sensor System for Detection of Water Activity
  • Fabian Schmidt and Jan Hendrik Bredehöft
    Interstellar formic acid by versatile water chemistry


We thank the jury members for evaluating the contributions of all eigth participants of the "Space Factor" students contest. The jury consisted of Rocco Mancinelli, Petra Rettberg, Daniela Billi, Silvano Onofri and Kensei Kobayashi. The winners were awarded with a cash prize, a one-year subscription to the journal Astrobiology, and a book prize donated by the publishers Springer and Cambridge University Press. The winners were awarded by EANA`s Vice-President Nils Holm and Students Contest chair Lena Noack during the closing session of EANA 17.

1st prize Alex Price, The Open University, Milton Keynes, UK
Autotrophy and biomineralisation of nitrate-dependent iron oxidisers on Mars-relevant mineral substrate

2nd prize Diana Boy, Leibniz Universität Hannover, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Hannover, Germany
Abundance of radiation-resistant bacteria along an aridity gradient in the Atacama Desert -- Are radiation- and desiccation resistance connected from the habitat perspective?

3rd prize
Cyprien Verseux, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
Cyanobacteria as a substrate for heterotrophs -- Implications for biological life-support systems on Mars


From left to right: Isabell Wolf (Poster award), Diana Boy (2nd prize students contest), Theresa Backhaus (Poster award), Cyprien Verseux (3rd prize students contest), Philippe Nauny (Poster award), Mayvis Musariri (Sohan Jheeta award), Lara Maldanis (Sohan Jheeta award), Uyama Taichi (Poster award), Alex Price (1st prize students contest).



All posters of early career scientists were evaluated by a jury consisting of Jan Jehlicka, Rosa de la Torre Noetzel, Severine Robert, Kristina Beblo-Vranesevic, Kristina Kislyakova, Nils Holm, Nigel Mason and Elias Chatzitheodoridis.
The publishers Springer and Cambridge University Press donated a book prize for all four awardees. The winners were awarded by EANA`s Vice-President Nils Holm during the closing session of EANA 17.

List of awarded posters in alphabetical order:


From left to right: EANA president Frances Westall, students contest winners Felix M. Fuchs, Camilla Calabrese und Hannes L. Pleyer, together with students contest organizer Ralf Möller

1st prize
Camilla Calabrese, Università di Bologna, Dipartimento di Chimica "G. Ciamician", Italy
High Resolution Millimeter Wave Absorption Spectroscopy: from the laboratory data to the astronomical surveys

2nd prize
Felix Matthias Fuchs, German Aerospace Center (DLR e.V.), Institute of Aerospace Medicine, Radiation Biology Department, Space Microbiology Research Group, Germany
Floating in space: Influence of simulated microgravity on Bacillus subtilis biofilm formation - An electron microscopic study for whole biofilm analysis

3rd prize
Hannes L. Pleyer, University of Hohenheim, Institute of Chemistry, Department of Bioinorganic Chemistry, Germany
Metalation of a Model Porphyrin in Simulated Primordial Tide Pools: Possible Prebiotic Formation of Porphyrin‐Type Cofactors

During EANA 16, all posters were evaluated by a jury consisting of K. Lehto, C. Muller, K. Finster, F. Westall, C. Panitz, S. Leuko and N. Holm.
The publisher Springer donated a book prize for all seven awardees. The winners were awarded by EANA`s President Frances Westall during the closing session of EANA 16.


From left to right: Marta Cortesao, Avinash Dass, EANA president Frances Westall, Marc-Nicolas Rentinck, Greta Lamers and Frederic Foucher


List of awarded posters in alphabetical order:
1st and 3rd prize winners of the contest with the jury members and organizer of the student contest:
Franco Ferrari, Jean-Pierre de Vera, Iulia Myrgorodska, Maximilian Mora, André Brack, José Eduardo González-Pastor, Frances Westall and Ralf Möller.
1st prize
Iuliia Myrgorodska, University of Nice Sophia Antipolis, France
Asymmetric photolysis of chiral molecules of prebiotic importance at synchrotron SOLEIL

2nd prize
Ruth-Sophie Taubner, Research Platform ExoLife, University of Vienna, Austria
A new method for quantification of methane production of hydrogenotrophic methanogens

3rd prize
Maximilian Mora, Center for medical research, Graz, Austria
The swimming behaviour of hyperthermophiles – or: how to survive potential early Earth conditions

During EANA 15, all 64 posters were evaluated by a jury consisting of H. Lehto, C. Cockell, P. Rettberg, J. Brucato, H. Cottin, D. Billi and K. Finster.
The publishers Springer and Cambridge University Press donated a book prize for all seven awardees. The winners were awarded by EANA`s President Frances Westall and Honorary President Gerda Horneck during the closing session of EANA 15.

Organizers, awardees and jury members of the poster award:
Gerda Horneck, Frances Westall, Iulia Myrgorodska, Simone Martini, Carlos Banchon, Lena Noack, Ralf Möller (for Marina Raguse), Krzysztof Rychert, Kai Finster, Felix Matthias Fuchs, Harry Lehto and Daniela Billi.

List of awarded posters in alphabetical order:

All participants and judges of the 2014 Students Contest
From left to rigth: Daniela Billi, Giuseppe Gallo, Kirsi Lehto, Claudia Hahn, Rocco L. Mancinelli, Frances Westall, Bo Byloos, Katja Nagler (2nd prize), Sherry L. Cady, Alexandra Perras (1st prize), Charles S. Cockell, Corinna Panitz, Dagmar Koschnitzki (3rd prize), Ralf Moeller, Michaela Musilova, Claudia Pacelli (Image by Natasha Nicholson).

1st prize
Alexandra Perras, Department of Internal Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Austria
Grappling hooks: The life style and ultrastructure of the SM1 Euryarchaeon which thrives in a Mars analogue site

2nd prize
Katja Nagler, Institute of Aerospace Medicine, German Aerospace Center, Germany
Analysis of Bacillus subtilis spore germination in high-salinity environments

3rd prize
Dagmar Koschnitzki, Institute of Aerospace Medicine, German Aerospace Center, Germany
Ignicoccus hospitalis shows high radiation tolerance although never exposed to it in its natural habitat


Find more information on http://www.dlr.de/me/en/desktopdefault.aspx/tabid-1752/2384_read-41310.

During EANA 14, the 64 posters were evaluated by a distinguished team of astrobiologists consisting of Lewis Dartnell (UK), Kai Finster (Denmark), Kensei Kobayashi (Japan), Kirsi Lehto (Finland), Manesh Patel (UK) and Henry Strasdeit (Germany).
Thanks to the generosity of the publishers Springer and Cambridge University Press, each awardee received a recent book topical to astrobiology in addition to the poster prize document. The winners were awarded by EANA`s President Frances Westall and Honorary President Gerda Horneck during the closing session of EANA 14.

Picture of the winners of the poster award1, subsidiary colleagues2 and organizers3 of the 2014 EANA poster awards.

From left to right:

Jean-Pierre de Vera2 (for awardee Dennis Höning1), Gerda Horneck3, Frances Westall3, Casey Bryce1, Maximilian Mora1, Tetyana Milojevic1, Bo Byloos1and Dominic Papineau2 (for awardee Matthew S. Dodd1).

Image courtesy of Natasha Nicholson.

List of awarded posters in alphabetical order:

All participants and judges of the 2013 Students Contest


1st prize
Jan Frösler
The influence of extracellular polymeric substances on the tolerance of Deinococcus geothermalis to the environmental conditions of space and Mars

2nd prize
Paloma Serrano
Methanogenic archaea from Siberian permafrost: response to simulated Martian conditions and biosignature description

3rd prize
Yuko Kawaguchi
Microbes in clay micro-particles collided with ultralow density silica aerogel at 4km/s can be detected by fluorescence imaging



In a half-day session on October 16th, 2012 the student contest “The Space Factor" was held for the second time, organized and chaired by Ralf Moeller (German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR), Cologne, Germany)) and co-chaired by Oleg Gusev (National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences, Tsukuba, Japan). In the student contest, 10 young scientists, PhD students from different research fields covering chemistry, cosmology, mineralogy, microbiology and planetology, introduced themselves and their research with oral talk and a poster presentation to all conference participants. An interdisciplinary committee board (Kai Finster (Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark), Nils G. Holm (Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden), Helmut Lammer (Space Research Institute, Graz, Austria), and Natalia B. Gontareva (Institute of Cytology, St. Petersburg, Russia) judged the contributions of all participating PhD students.
The EANA 2012 student contest was generously supported with several prizes (e.g. online journal subscription, Svante Arrhenius Astrobiology Award and prize money) by the Astrobiology Journal (Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.), DLR’s Radiation Biology Department and the Helmholtz Space Life Sciences Research School (SpaceLife), which is gratefully acknowledged here.

Picture of the participants1, reviewers2 and organizer3 of the 2012 EANA students contest "The Space Factor".

From left to right:
Ralf Möller3, Nils G. Holm2, Alfonso Delgado Bonal1, Kai Finster2, Ebbe Norskov Bak1, Siddharth Hegde1, Stefanie Lutz1, Mickael Baqué1, Petra Schwendner1, Natalia B. Gontareva2


Missing on the picture are:
Oleg Gusev3, Helmut Lammer2, Jan Marie Andersen1, Aristodimos Vasileiadis1, Arkadii V. Tarasevych1, Gayathri Murukesan1). Image courtesy of Marko Wassmann.


1st prize
Jan Marie Andersen (Københavns Universitet, Niels Bohr Institute, Centre for Star and Planet Formation, Copenhagen, Denmark / NSF Graduate Research Fellow at Boston University Astronomy Department, Boston, USA)
Talk and poster: M dwarfs as planet hosts: consequences of stellar activity on exoplanet detection
2nd prize
Petra Schwendner (Universität Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany / DLR Cologne, Germany)
Talk and poster: Monitoring of the microbial community during simulated flight to Mars
3rd prize
Mickael Baqué (University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Rome, Italy)
Talk and poster: BIOMEX-Desert Cyanobacteria: ground simulations of the EXPOSE-R2 mission


The posters presented at EANA12 were evaluated by co-chairs according to the scientific and presentation quality. Eight poster book awards were granted to the following recipients: The book awards were kindly donated by the publishers Springer and Cambridge University Press.


Award ceremony 2011
All participants 2011


1st prize
Anja Bauermeister (a PhD student from the University of Duisburg/Essen, Biofilm Centre, Essen, Germany and the German Aerospace Center (DLR), Insititue of Aerospace Medicine, Radiation Biology, Cologne, Germany) gave the Best Young Researcher presentation, entitled
Could acidophilic iron-sulfur bacteria be suitable model organisms for Mars?
2nd prize
Francisco Javier Sánchez Iñigo, PhD student (from Earth Observation Department, INTA. Ctra. de Ajalvir, Km. 4, Torrejón de Ardoz, 28850 Madrid, Spain)
Presentation title: Resistance of Rhizocarpon geographicum to UV-B and UV-C radiation in a hydrated- and desiccated state
3rd prize
Aditya Chopra, PhD student (from The Australian National University, Planetary Science Institute, Canberra, Australia)
Presentation title: What do the elemental abundances tell us about the universality of life?


The posters presented at EANA11 were evaluated by co-chairs according to the scientific and presentation quality. Five poster book awards were granted to the following recipients: The book awards were donated by the publishers Cambridge University Press, Oxford University Press, Springer, and Wiley VCH, which is highly appreciated.