Earth microbes survive simulated conditions of Saturn moon’s ocean

Experiment suggests organisms could live in harsh environment under Enceladus’s icy crust, strengthening possibility moon could support life

From the moment scientists spotted plumes of water erupting from Enceladus, one of Saturn’s moons, it became the most tantalising place in the solar system to search for life beyond Earth.

Now the case is even more compelling after researchers found that organisms that live in deep-sea waters off Japan can survive the harsh conditions expected in the briny ocean that lurks beneath Enceladus’s icy crust.