OOIR: Observatory of International Research

Papers

(The TQCC of International Journal of Astrobiology is 3. The table below lists those papers that are above that threshold based on CrossRef citation counts [max. 250 papers]. The publications cover those that have been published in the past four years, i.e., from 2021-09-01 to 2025-09-01.)

Article	Citations
Fungal biomarkers are detectable in Martian rock-analogues after space exposure: implications for the search of life on Mars	43
The social science perspective on the Fermi paradox	32
Identifying optimal decision-making strategies and determining effective messaging to maximize the expected outcomes of potential human–extraterrestrial encounters	17
Observation of significant photosynthesis in garden cress and cyanobacteria under simulated illumination from a K dwarf star	15
How can planetary back-contamination protection guidelines inform biosafety for synthetic biology?	10
Reaching out to early-career astrobiologists: AbGradE's actions and perspectives	9
Alien technology, conjunction and ergodicity	8
Abiogenesis: the Carter argument reconsidered	8
Submarine hydrothermal vent systems: the relevance of dynamic systems in chemical evolution and prebiotic chemistry experiments	7
Heat-induced changes in molecular biosignatures and the influence of Mars-relevant minerals	7
Detecting carotenoids in salt crystals: insights into biosignature detection under Mars-like proton irradiation using in situ and ex situ Raman spectroscopy	7
Formalizing the Fermi paradox and combining consistent explanatory hypotheses	6
If extraterrestrial intelligence exists, it is unable to recognize humans as intelligent beings – ERRATUM	6
Fungus Penicillium rubens isolated from the International Space Station (ISS) shows faster colony growth and better spore resistance to cosmic radiation than type strain	6
The future of intelligence in the Universe: a call for humility	6
Martian stick-like structures are not trace fossils: a new protocol for testing ichnogenicity synthesized from paleosol ichnology	6
Mars: new insights and unresolved questions – Corrigendum	6
Houston, we have a problem…or do we? The trajectory of astrobioethics and Indigenous thought	5
Succession of the bacterial community from a spacecraft assembly clean room when enriched in brines relevant to Mars	5
Intelligence as a planetary scale process	5
Survival of Xanthoria parietina in simulated space conditions: vitality assessment and spectroscopic analysis	5
Role of horizontal gene transfers and microbial ecology in the evolution of fluxes through the tricarboxylic acid cycle	5
Special issue: Open questions and next steps in astrobiology in Europe – celebrating 20 years of EANA	4
Extraterrestrial nature reserves (ETNRs)	4
Astrovirology: how viruses enhance our understanding of life in the Universe	4

Physical and chemical mechanisms that impact the detection, identification, and quantification of organic matter and the survival of microorganisms on the Martian surface – a review	4
Hype, skin in the game, and the stability of cooperative science	3
Microbial protocols for spacecraft: 2. Biocidal effects of Delrin and nylon in sealed compartments may enhance bioburden reductions in planetary spacecraft	3
Astrobiocentrism: reflections on challenges in the transition to a vision of life and humanity in space	3
Drosophila melanogaster: a promising system for space biology research	3
Subsurface scientific exploration of extraterrestrial environments (MINAR 5): analogue science, technology and education in the Boulby Mine, UK – CORRIGENDUM	3
Stromatolite photomorphogenesis: lighting up their shape	3
Megatsunamis and microbial life on early Mars	3
Role of DNA repair pathways in the recovery of a dried, radioresistant cyanobacterium exposed to high-LET radiation: implications for the habitability of Mars	3
Astroecology: bridging the gap between ecology and astrobiology	3
Computer simulations of biotic chiral selection scenarios	3
Fifty years of astrobiology: mapping researcher communities with topic-based network analyses	3
Astrobiology: resolution of the statistical Drake equation by Maccone's lognormal method in 50 steps	3
Astrobiological applications of μ-mapping X-ray fluorescence spectrometry	3
Experimental and theoretical studies of the interactions of alanine onto surfaces of olivine and montmorillonite: relevance in astrobiology	3
Self-replicating probes are imminent – implications for SETI	3
If extraterrestrial intelligence exists, it is unable to recognize humans as intelligent beings	3
Von Neumann probes: rationale, propulsion, interstellar transfer timing	3
Iron reduction as a viable metabolic pathway in Enceladus’ ocean	3