Colors of Life in the Clouds: Biopigments of Atmospheric Microorganisms as a New Signature to Detect Life on Planets like Earth

Abstract When Carl Sagan and Ed Salpeter envisioned potential sinkers, floaters, and hunters living in Jupiter’s clouds in 1976, the nature of life in Earth’s atmosphere remained widely unknown. Decades later, research has revealed a remarkable variety of microorganisms in our atmosphere. However, the spectral features of airborne microbes as biomarkers for detecting atmospheric life remained a mystery. Here, we present the first reflectance spectra of biopigments of atmospheric microorganisms based on laboratory cultivars of seven microbial strains isolated from Earth’s atmosphere. We show their distinct UV-resistant biosignatures and their impacts on models of diverse planetary scenarios, using Habitable Worlds Observatory parameters. The reflectance of these biopigments from aerial bacteria creates the means to detect them on other Earth-like planets. It provides a paradigm shift that moves the search for life beyond the surface of a planet to ecosystems in atmospheres and clouds.