Life in the sticky lane

Asphalt lake is full of microbes

A Caribbean lake of liquid asphalt that makes a comfortable home for a unique mix of microorganisms may provide clues to how life could survive in hydrocarbon lakes on Saturn’s moon Titan.

MUCKING IT UP Trinidadian student Denzil Ali scoops a sample of sticky Pitch Lake, which is teeming with life. Dirk Schulze-Makuch

Titan is the only body in the solar system other than Earth that sports liquid lakes, clouds and rain, a feature that has drawn interest from scientists hunting for alien life.