Professor Sara Seager from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) believes astronomers should broaden their horizons as they scan the cosmos for life.

She said: ‘Microbes can survive and grow in a 100 percent hydrogen atmosphere. We should expand the types of planets we consider worth searching.’

The award winning astrophysicist, 48, led research published today in Nature Astronomy which found E.coli and yeast survived and grew in pure hydrogen.