Celia Blanco

The Centro de Astrobiología (CAB) is a joint research center of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and the National Institute of Aerospace Technology (INTA), located in Torrejón de Ardoz, Madrid. Created in 1999, it was the world's first center dedicated specifically to astrobiological research and the first non-US associate member of NASA's Astrobiology Institute (now the NASA Astrobiology Program). CAB is an interdisciplinary center whose central aim is to study the origin, presence, and influence of life in the universe. Its staff spans a wide range of fields, including biology, chemistry, geology, physics, genetics, ecology, astrophysics, planetology, engineering, mathematics, and computer science. Research is organized around several departments, covering astrophysics, molecular evolution, and planetary science and habitability, and addresses the full chain of events linking the formation of galaxies, stars, and planets to the emergence and evolution of life. The center's scientific standing has been recognized nationally and internationally. In 2017, CAB was distinguished by the Ministry of Science and Innovation as a "María de Maeztu Unit of Excellence." Its instrumentation work has a strong presence in planetary exploration: CAB has led the development of the REMS, TWINS, and MEDA instruments operating on Mars, and it participates in missions and instruments including CARMENES, CHEOPS, PLATO, BepiColombo, DART, HERA, the MIRI and NIRSpec instruments on JWST, and HARMONI on ESO's Extremely Large Telescope. For more information, visit the website: https://cab.inta-csic.es/