The AstRoMap project has produced the first European roadmap for astrobiology research. It identifies five research topics:
- The origin and evolution of planetary systems;
- The origins of organic compounds in space;
- Rock-water-carbon interactions, organic synthesis on Earth, and the steps to life;
- Life and Habitability;
- Biosignatures facilitating the detection of life.
The report outlines the key scientific objectives and methods for investigating these topics. One of the key recommendations of the project is the creation of a European platform or institute (possibly modelled on EANA) that coordinates cooperation and funding across European institutions. The full report is published in the March 2016 special (open access) issue of the journal Astrobiology, which can be found here.
