Boulby International Subsurface Astrobiology Lab

The lab is equipped to carry out the study of deep subsurface environments with a focus on astrobiology, planetary sciences and instrument testing. Its goals are to contribute to our understanding of deep subsurface biological, geological and geochemical processes and their roles in global processes. The lab has also been running a program for five yeas called MINAR (Mine Analog Research) bringing planetary scientists into Boulby to test instruments for the robotic exploration of space. It is important as it is one of the few underground labs doing biological research, it positions the UK in the forefront of developing planetary sciences instrumentation for space exploration and in particular it is the only analog site carrying out this research in a commercial setting.