About
Founded by Hiram, a biotechnology researcher and engineer working at the edges of biology, Astrobiota operates like a field outpost: small, precise, and focused on discoveries too fragile for traditional labs.
Astrobiota’s first breakthrough stabilizes a previously undocumented lichen state — thick, tomentose mycelium carrying a photobiont as a dry biofilm. It grows far faster than traditional lichen because it bypasses cortex and thallus formation. This stage does not yet produce lichen metabolites; it is a foundation for deeper work, not the finish line.
California Lichen Biobank
Goal: raise $10,000 to preserve 100 species locally — capturing genetics, symbioses, and hidden morphologies before they are lost.
🌱 $100 — Preserve 1 species
🌿 $500 — Preserve 5 species
🌳 $1,000 — Preserve 10 species
🌍 $5,000 — Preserve 50 species
🚀 $10,000 — Founding goal: 100 species
Support the Biobank
Latest Research Note
Extratemporal Biology: A Hidden Stage of Life Revealed
Two lifeforms — fungus and alga — reorganized into a new, fast‑growing formation. Read the full note, with images and context for astrobiology and conservation.
Read the Post
