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I am currently spending my days growing dense populations of micro-organisms in the lab, only to blast them with gamma rays to get them to die again. This isn’t for sick microbial kicks but to understand how different cells are affected by radiation. This makes more sense if I tell you that I work in the emerging field of science called astrobiology – looking into the possibility of life beyond Earth. Mars is thought to offer one of the best chances for harbouring extraterrestrial life in our solar system, but its surface is constantly pelted with cosmic rays so I…