Finding life in the hidden ocean of Saturn's moon Enceladus may be easier than thought, two new studies suggest. Research published in Science Advances on September 25 found that ice grains in the moon's plumes naturally sort and concentrate the ocean's chemistry, including salts and organics, as droplets freeze slowly while rising through fractures. That means material sampled from the plumes is already enriched in the ingredients life needs. A second study showed that a methane-producing microbe from Earth can grow under simulated Enceladus ocean conditions, which are alkaline and limited in carbon dioxide. The work was led by Frank Postberg of Freie Universität Berlin. The results do not prove life exists on Enceladus, but they sharpen the case for a future mission to fly through its plumes and taste what is inside. Data from NASA's Cassini mission first revealed the plumes in 2005, and they remain one of the most promising places to search for life in the solar system.