Life Detection Knowledge Base: Assessment Criteria for Potential Biosignatures.

Area of Science:

• Astrobiology
• Planetary Science
• Astronomy

Background:

• Astrobiology missions increasingly seek evidence of extraterrestrial life.
• Existing frameworks evaluate returned data, but a proactive risk assessment tool is needed.
• Potential false negatives and false positives in life detection require "before-the-fact" evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and vet a standardized set of criteria for evaluating potential biosignatures.
• To establish a community-owned web tool, the Life Detection Knowledge Base (LDKB), for organizing literature and discourse.
• To mitigate risks associated with false negative and false positive results in astrobiology missions.

Main Methods:

• Developed draft criteria for evaluating potential biosignatures.
• Organized scientific literature and facilitated community discourse using the LDKB.
• Vetted draft criteria through two astrobiology community workshops.
• Incorporated community feedback to finalize the criteria.

Main Results:

• A finalized set of criteria for assessing biosignatures was generated.
• The Life Detection Knowledge Base (LDKB) was developed as a community-driven platform.
• The criteria delineate factors contributing to false negative and false positive results.

Conclusions:

• The LDKB provides a framework for consistent evaluation of potential biosignatures.
• Community vetting ensures the criteria are robust and relevant for astrobiology.
• This system enhances the reliability of searching for life beyond Earth.