title: AstRoMap European Astrobiology Roadmap.
abstract: The European AstRoMap project (supported by the European Commission Seventh Framework Programme) surveyed the state of the art of astrobiology in Europe and beyond and produced the first European roadmap for astrobiology research. In the context of this roadmap, astrobiology is understood as the study of the origin, evolution, and distribution of life in the context of cosmic evolution; this includes habitability in the Solar System and beyond. The AstRoMap Roadmap identifies five research topics, specifies several key scientific objectives for each topic, and suggests ways to achieve all the objectives. The five AstRoMap Research Topics are • Research Topic 1: Origin and Evolution of Planetary Systems • Research Topic 2: Origins of Organic Compounds in Space • Research Topic 3: Rock-Water-Carbon Interactions, Organic Synthesis on Earth, and Steps to Life • Research Topic 4: Life and Habitability • Research Topic 5: Biosignatures as Facilitating Life Detection It is strongly recommended that steps be taken towards the definition and implementation of a European Astrobiology Platform (or Institute) to streamline and optimize the scientific return by using a coordinated infrastructure and funding system.
authors.affiliation: 1 European Astrobiology Network Association .|2 Institute of Aerospace Medicine, German Aerospace Center (DLR) , Köln, Germany .
authors.forename: Gerda
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Horneck
authors.affiliation: 3 European Science Foundation , Strasbourg, France .
authors.forename: Nicolas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Walter
authors.affiliation: 4 Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique-Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire , Orleans, France .
authors.forename: Frances
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Westall
authors.affiliation: 5 Institute for Planetary Research, German Aerospace Center (DLR) , Berlin, Germany .
authors.forename: John Lee
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Grenfell
authors.affiliation: 6 Institute of Molecular Evolution, Heinrich-Heine University of Düsseldorf , Düsseldorf, Germany .
authors.forename: William F
authors.initials: WF
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.affiliation: 7 INTA Centre for Astrobiology , Torrejón de Ardoz, Madrid, Spain .
authors.forename: Felipe
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gomez
authors.affiliation: 2 Institute of Aerospace Medicine, German Aerospace Center (DLR) , Köln, Germany .
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Leuko
authors.affiliation: 8 Department of Ecology and Environmental Science, Umeå University , Umeå, Sweden .|9 Department of Microbiology, Technical University München , München, Germany .
authors.forename: Natuschka
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: 10 Department of Ecological and Biological Sciences, University of Tuscia , Viterbo, Italy .
authors.forename: Silvano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Onofri
authors.affiliation: 11 Department of Physics, Section of Astrophysics, Astronomy and Mechanics, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki , Thessaloniki, Greece .
authors.forename: Kleomenis
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tsiganis
authors.affiliation: 12 Department of Agrobiology and Agrochemistry, University of Tuscia , Viterbo, Italy .
authors.forename: Raffaele
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Saladino
authors.affiliation: 13 Institute of Astrophysics, University of Vienna , Vienna, Austria .
authors.forename: Elke
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pilat-Lohinger
authors.affiliation: 14 INAF-Institute for Space Astrophysics and Planetology , Rome, Italy .
authors.forename: Ernesto
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Palomba
authors.affiliation: 15 Department of Microbiology and Ecosystem Science, University of Vienna , Vienna, Austria .
authors.forename: Jesse
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Harrison
authors.affiliation: 16 Department of Condensed Matter Physics, Crystallography and Mineralogy, Valladolid University , Valladolid, Spain .
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rull
authors.affiliation: 17 B.USOC , Brussels, Belgium .
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Muller
authors.affiliation: 18 INAF-Catania Astrophysical Observatory , Catania, Italy .
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Strazzulla
authors.affiliation: 19 INAF-Arcetri Astrophysical Observatory , Florence, Italy .
authors.forename: John R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Brucato
authors.affiliation: 2 Institute of Aerospace Medicine, German Aerospace Center (DLR) , Köln, Germany .
authors.forename: Petra
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rettberg
authors.affiliation: 14 INAF-Institute for Space Astrophysics and Planetology , Rome, Italy .
authors.forename: Maria Teresa
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Capria
mesh_terms: D005060:Europe; D018559:Exobiology / Q000639:trends*; D005118:Extraterrestrial Environment; D009930:Organic Chemicals / Q000032:analysis; D000069497:Origin of Life; D016083:Planets
chemical_list: D009930:Organic Chemicals