10:00 am — Welcome and introduction

10:10 am — Professor John Priscu: Antarctica, Astrobiology and the Search for Life

What can life beneath the Antarctic ice teach us about the possibility of life elsewhere in the Solar System?

Professor John Priscu will take teachers and students inside the hidden environments beneath Antarctica’s ice. Drawing on decades of Antarctic research, he will explain how scientists investigate microorganisms living in cold, dark and isolated lakes—and what these remarkably resilient ecosystems reveal about the conditions required for life.

Students will discover that these microorganisms do more than survive: some produce methane while others consume it, creating a hidden ecosystem that influences the carbon cycle beneath the Antarctic Ice Sheet.

He will connect this research to the search for life in the subsurface oceans of icy worlds such as Jupiter’s moon Europa, introducing some of the scientific questions, evidence and technologies involved in modern astrobiology.

Professor Priscu’s career has taken him beneath frozen lakes, across the Antarctic ice and into collaborations with NASA engineers developing technology for future exploration of Europa. His discoveries helped transform Antarctica from a continent once thought largely lifeless into one recognised as containing hidden, biologically active ecosystems.

He will share stories from Antarctic fieldwork, describe his own pathway into Antarctic science and astrobiology, and introduce the many disciplines that contribute to the field—including biology, chemistry, geology, physics, engineering and planetary science. He will offer practical encouragement and advice for students considering future study and careers in science and exploration.

10:40 am — Questions from teachers and students

Teachers and students will have the opportunity to ask Professor Priscu about life beneath the ice, Europa, Antarctic exploration, scientific discoveries, fieldwork in extreme environments and pathways into astrobiology-related careers.

11:10 am — Closing remarks

11:20 am — Event concludes

Contact the host of Antarctica to Europa: A Special Session with Professor John Priscu