Is THIS What you Need to Survive on Saturn's Moon Titan?

Taking an alternative view of life as we know, researchers at Cornell University have modelled life that can survive on Saturn's moon Titan.

Called Azotosome, the 9 nanometer cell membrane was modelled from carbon, hydrogen and nitrogen which are chemicals present in abundance on Titan. The cell membrane was modelled keeping in view the 292 degree below zero freezing temperatures prevalent on Titan, reports Discovery News. The current research is unlike most other research where life is modelled or explored based on what we know about Earth's life forms

"We're not biologists, and we're not astronomers, but we had the right tools. Perhaps it helped, because we didn't come in with any preconceptions about what should be in a membrane and what shouldn't. We just worked with the compounds that we knew were there and asked, 'If this was your palette, what can you make out of that?'" said chemical engineer Paulette Clancy, in a news release.

The researchers zeroed on the membrane when they screened for chemical compounds from methane that could self-assemble into membrane like structures and remain stable without decomposing. Acrylonitrile was the only compound that fit the bill.

The team now hopes to demonstrate the functioning of the new membrane. The ultimate prize would however be testing it on Titan itself.