The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) together with the Local Organizing Committee, COSPAR - 2012 cordially invites you to attend the 39th COSPAR Scientific Assembly that will take place from 14-22 July 2012 at the Narayana Murthy Centre of Excellence, Mysore, Karnataka, India.

The following sessions are of particular interest to the astrobiology community - the deadline for abstract submission is February 10, 2012.

B0.2 Mars Exploration
Organizer: R. Stephen Saunders
Lunar and Planetary Institute
rssaunders@earthlink.net

F3.3 Advanced Instrumentation for Astrobiology: ISS, Mars and Beyond
Organizer: Mary Voytek
NASA Headquarters
mary.voytek-1@nasa.gov

B0.6 Astrobiology: Life Signs Detections within Planetary Exploration
Organizer: John Robert Brucato
INAF - Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri, Italy
jbrucato@arcetri.astro.it

F3.6 Astrobiology and Astromaterials as Related to Small Bodies
Organizer: Kensei Kobayashi
Yokohama National University
kkensei@ynu.ac.jp

F3.4 Life in Extreme Environments - Model Systems for Astrobiology
Organizer: Petra Rettberg
DLR, Germany
petra.rettberg@dlr.de

F3.2 Prebiotic Chemistry and the Origin of Life
Organizer: Andrew Pohorille
NASA Ames Research Center
andrew.pohorille@nasa.gov

F3.1 Habitability in the Solar System
Organizer: Rafael Navarro-Gonzalez
Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico
navarro@nucleares.unam.mx

For more information see: http://www.cospar-assembly.org

Posted by Keith Cowing at 1:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Join John Delano for a new astrobiology talk from TEDx Albany entitled, Is Anyone Else Out There? A survey of astrobiology research topics masterfully conveyed as a "story of us," the talk ranges from the manufacture of organic molecules in space to extrasolar planets, to hyperthermophilichemolithoautotrophs!

Dr. Delano is a Distinguished Teaching Professor in the Department of Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences at the University at Albany (State University of New York), and is the Associate Director of the NAI's New York Center for Astrobiology at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He is the author of 60 scientific publications, and has served on many advisory panels for NASA.

To view the talk: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrQY7vQy50M

Posted by Keith Cowing at 1:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

We need you in Houston! Sign up today to participate in FameLab Astrobiology at the Lunar and Planetary Institute on January 13th. FameLab is a science communication competition that focuses on building your skills with workshops on good communication practices. The workshop in Houston will be led by the Co-Directors of the National Association for Interpretation. Competitors will present a three-minute piece on their research or an astrobiology-related topic of their choosing. Those topping the competition in Houston will go on to the final at AbSciCon in April...the winner there will go on to the FameLab International final in the UK in June. Lodging and $500 in travel support are available--sign up today at http://astrobiologyfamelab.arc.nasa.gov/. Contact daniella.m.scalice@nasa.gov with any questions.

Posted by Keith Cowing at 12:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

To: Astrophysics and Exoplanetary Science Community
From: Astrophysics Division of NASA's Science Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters
Date: January 2012
Subject: Call for Nominations to the Executive Committee of the Exoplanet Exploration Program Analysis Group (ExoPAG)

Dear Colleagues:

The Astrophysics Division of NASA's Science Mission Directorate is pleased to issue this open call for nominations to serve on the Executive Committee of NASA's Exoplanet Exploration Program Analysis Group, or ExoPAG. In the coming months, NASA anticipates making four new appointments to the ExoPAG Executive Committee, to replace four current members who will be rotating off the committee after the semi-annual ExoPAG meeting in January (ExoPAG 5; information at http://exep.jpl.nasa.gov/exopag/exopag5). Appointments will be for a period of 3 years.

Continue reading "Call for Nominations to the Executive Committee of the Exoplanet Exploration Program Analysis Group (ExoPAG)" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 1:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Study challenges existence of arsenic-based life, Nature

"A group of scientists, led by microbiologist Rosie Redfield at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada, have posted data on Redfield's blog that, she says, present a "clear refutation" of key findings from the paper. But after Redfield and others raised numerous concerns, many of which were published as technical comments in Science, Redfield put the results to the test, documenting her progress on her blog to advance the cause of open science ... Redfield and her collaborators hope to submit their work to Science by the end of the month. She says that if Science refuses to publish the work because it has been discussed on blogs, it will become an important test case for open science."

- Arsenic, Astrobiology, NASA, and the Media, earlier post
- NASA Researchers Start To Backtrack on Earlier Claims, earlier post
- Snarky NASA SMD Response to Snarky Public Astrobiology Discussion, earlier post
- Weird Arsenic-Eating Microbes Discovered? Yes. Finding E.T.? No, earlier post
- Arsenic-Based Life Found on Earth, earlier post
- NASA's Astrobiology News: Arsenic Biochemistry Anyone? (Update), earlier post

Posted by Keith Cowing at 3:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Life's origin and existence in the universe are among the most profound riddles ever facing science. ILASOL is an Israeli scientific society devoted to these issues. ILASOL's yearly meeting gathers physicists, biologists, chemists, mathematicians, philosophers and researchers of other disciplines present works related to life's origin and astrobiology. Presentations are peer-reviewed in order to guarantee high scientific level, while enabling a friendly forum for novel and unorthodox ideas to be aired and assessed.

The 25th meeting took place during December 2011, and had a rich program which can be found at our web site: http://www.ilasol.org.il. The astrobiology session focused on the search of exo-planets (planets around other stars), in particular on the recent results from the Kepler mission and their implication for finding extra-terrestrial life, as well as the recent finding of comets with earthly water isotope ratio. Scientists, students and laypersons are welcomed to become ILASOL members (no charge), submit works and become involved in all our activities.

Posted by Keith Cowing at 4:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The John W. Kluge Center at the Library of Congress is accepting applications and nominations for the new Baruch S. Blumberg NASA/Library of Congress Chair in Astrobiology.

Applications and nominations must be postmarked by Monday, February 13, 2012. For guidelines and forms, visit www.loc.gov/loc/kluge/fellowships/NASA-astrobiology.html . Candidates should apply directly using the online form. Nominations should be submitted in writing to scholarly@loc.gov.

The astrobiology chair is a new distinguished senior research position in residence at the Library's Kluge Center for a period of up to 12 months. This is an appointment made by the Librarian of Congress on the recommendation of a selection committee, which considers both applications and nominations. For the Library's announcement of the chair, visit http://www.loc.gov/today/pr/2011/11-202.html .

Using the collections and services at the Library of Congress, the chair holder conducts research at the intersection between the science of astrobiology and its humanistic aspects, particularly its societal implications. The astrobiology scholar receives a stipend of $13,500 per month. The tenure is expected to begin in October 2012.

Continue reading "Call for Applications: New NASA/Library of Congress Chair in Astrobiology" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 1:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The NASA Astrobiology Institute is pleased to announce selections for research awards resulting from its 2011 Director's Discretionary Fund competition. The selections cover a wide range of research topics, from an examination of microbial succession on islands of floating pumice to defining the habitable zone's outer edge by combining climate evolution models with models of orbital and obliquity evolution.

Discretionary resources in the fiscal year 2012 NAI budget are extraordinarily limited. Since these are the funds from which we make 2011 DDF awards, we have been limited to a small fraction of the total award amounts of past years. Approximately $250K is allocated for the seven selected investigations described in the link below.

Selections were based on external reviews, with selection priority given to proposals that

* integrate the research of and realize synergies among the current NAI teams;

* expand the scope of NAI research (and the NAI community) in innovative ways, accepting some risk in return for high pay-off potential;

* respond in a timely way to new scientific results or programmatic opportunities;

* develop connections between astrobiology research and other NASA science programs, particularly NASA's Earth Science Program;

* directly support flight programs, particularly through instrument development;

* use funding particularly effectively, for example through leveraging or building on past investments; and/or

* support early career investigators

For more information and a list of selected research projects: http://astrobiology.nasa.gov/nai/funding/the-nai-directors-discretionary-fund/2011

Posted by Keith Cowing at 11:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Evolutionary biologist Lynn Margulis, a long-time member of the astrobiology community, died at her home on November 22. She was 73.

Margulis was brilliant, passionate, dedicated, and insatiably curious, about science, education, and life. A superb communicator as well as an outstanding scientist, she participated in hands-on teaching activities at levels from middle to graduate school, served as a faculty mentor at Boston University for years, gave much of her time to public speaking, and authored numerous books about science for scientific and public audiences, many with her son Dorion. She has been, and will remain, an inspiration to many women and men who have had the privilege of knowing her. She is irreplaceable, and the astrobiology community will miss her very much.

Always a pioneer, Margulis was the first female principal investigator of NASA's Exobiology Program (predecessor of Astrobiology), initially receiving funding for her research in microbial evolution and organelle heredity in the early 1970s. In 1980, Margulis established a Planetary Biology Internship (PBI) program, which the Exobiology/Astrobiology program has supported since its inception. Through the PBI program, which enables graduate students to work in the laboratories of scientists at NASA facilities and of NASA-supported scientists at universities, Margulis herself mentored many students who are now productive members of the astrobiology community. In 2010, Margulis served as a keynote speaker at a NASA symposium to mark the 50th anniversary of NASA's Exobiology/astrobiology program. (A video record of this talk is available at: www.livestream.com/astrobiology50th.)

Continue reading "In Memoriam: Lynn Margulis, 1938-2011" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 12:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

We demonstrate that habitable Earth-type planets and moons can exist in the Kepler-16 system by investigating their orbital stability in the standard and extended habitable zone (HZ). We find that Earth-type planets in S-type orbits are possible within the standard HZ in direct vicinity of Kepler-16b, thus constituting habitable exomoons. However, Earth-mass planets cannot exist in P-type orbits around the two stellar components within the standard HZ. Yet, P-type Earth-mass planets can exist superior to the giant planet in the extended HZ pertaining to considerably enhanced back-warming in the planetary atmosphere if facilitated. We briefly discuss the potential detectability of such habitable Earth-type moons and planets positioned in S-type and P-type orbits, respectively.

Billy Quarles, Zdzislaw E. Musielak, Manfred Cuntz (Submitted on 11 Jan 2012)

Comments: 11 pages, 2 figures, 1 table; submitted to Astrophysical Journal Letters
Subjects: Earth and Planetary Astrophysics (astro-ph.EP)
Cite as: arXiv:1201.2302v1 [astro-ph.EP]
Submission history
From: Manfred Cuntz [view email]
[v1] Wed, 11 Jan 2012 14:11:06 GMT (69kb)

Posted by Keith Cowing at 3:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The SETI Institute is pleased to announce that applications are now open for the 2012 REU (Research Experiences for Undergraduates) program in Astrobiology and Planetary Science. Undergraduate students in fields such as astronomy, biology, geology, chemistry, and physics are invited to apply to spend 10 weeks in the San Francisco Bay area working on a scientific research project in the field of astrobiology or planetary science. Students receive a stipend, travel, and living expenses. Applications are due by February 1, 2012. For more information, visit http://www.seti.org/reu or contact Cynthia Phillips, phillips@seti.org, 650-810-0230.

Posted by Keith Cowing at 5:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Nordic-NASA summer school "Water, ice and the Origin of Life in the Universe", which will be held in Iceland from 2 to 15 July 2012, aims to give participants a thorough high-level introduction into the role of water in the evolution of life in the cosmos, starting from formation of water molecules in space and ending with evolution of the first organisms. It will bring together students and researchers from a multitude of different science branches, making it a truly multidisciplinary event. The event will be organised by the Nordic Astrobiology Network (http://www.nordicastrobiology.net) together with the NASA Astrobiology Institute. Field studies on the colonisation of lava fields and glaciers will complement the lectures. The programme of the summer school comprises:

* lectures by internationally leading scientists covering a broad range of subjects in astrobiology
* investigation of colonisation of volcanic rocks and glaciers with in situ life detection techniques
* excursions to geologically and biologically interesting sites (lava caves, new lava fields)
* 2 poster sessions for students and early career scientists
* participants-led discussions about hot topics

The event is aimed for graduate students and early career scientists (up to 5 years after their first Ph. D. in a related field) in fields related to astrobiology. Undergraduate students can also apply, and can be accepted under exceptional circumstances. The event is open to applicants from all nationalities. Detailed information about the summer school and the application procedure (deadline 31 January 2012) can be found at http://www.nordicastrobiology.net/Iceland2012. Successful applicants accepted by the Scientific Committee as participants will receive free lodging, meals and excursions, but will have to organise financial means for their travel to and from Iceland themselves.Course credit awards (ECTS points) for undergraduate and Ph. D. students will be applied for by the course organisers.

Posted by Keith Cowing at 12:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

FameLab Astrobiology is a science communication competition focused on graduate students and post doctoral researchers doing research in astrobiology. Via four preliminary and one final competition, early career astrobiologists will compete to convey their own research or related science concepts. Each contestant has the spotlight for only three minutes -- slides and charts are not allowed. A panel of experts in both science and science communication will judge the events. Events will take place on the following dates:

-- Jan. 13, 2012 -- Houston, Texas -- Lunar and Planetary Institute
-- Feb. 10, 2012 -- Denver, Colo. -- Denver Museum of Nature and Science
-- March 9, 2012 -- Washington, D.C. -- NASA Headquarters/National Geographic Society
-- Jan. - March 2012 -- Online via YouTube
-- FINAL: April 12-16, 2012 -- Atlanta, Ga. -- Astrobiology Science Conference

Each preliminary event will feature science communication training and enrichment activities, providing exposure to alternative careers. There will be a two-day master class for finalists prior to the final event in April.

The winner will go on to compete in the International FameLab Final in the United Kingdom in June 2012.

For more information, visit http://astrobiologyfamelab.arc.nasa.gov/.

Questions about this competition may be directed to Daniella Scalice at the NASA Astrobiology Institute via email at daniella.m.scalice@nasa.gov.

Posted by Keith Cowing at 5:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Release Date: October 11, 2011

Proposals Due: February 15, 2012

With this amendment, the proposal due date for NASA Cooperative Agreement Notice (CAN) NNH11ZDA012O, "NASA Astrobiology Institute (NAI) - Cycle 6," has been delayed to February 15, 2012. Due to the large number of time consuming activities between November and the end of January encountered by the Planetary Science and Astrobiology community, the proposal due date for the NAI Cycle 6 CAN has been changed to February 15, 2012.

On or about December 5, 2012, Amendment No. 1 to the "NASA Astrobiology Institute Cycle 6" CAN (NNH11ZDA012O) will be posted on the NASA research opportunity homepage at http://nspires.nasaprs.com/ (select "Solicitations" then "Open Solicitations" then "NNH12ZDA002C").

Additional information on the NASA Astrobiology Institute may be obtained from: Dr. Carl Pilcher, Director, NASA Astrobiology Institute, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035; Telephone: (650) 604-0022; E-mail: can6@nasa.gov. Additional information on this Notice and the overall NASA Astrobiology Program may be obtained from: Dr. Mary Voytek, Senior Scientist for Astrobiology, Science Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters, Washington, DC 20546; Telephone: (202) 358-1577; E-mail: mary.voytek-1@nasa.gov.

Posted by Keith Cowing at 10:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

When Dr. Eric Boyd of the NAI's Montana State University Team goes searching for evidence of what extra-terrestrial life might look like, he heads to Norris Geyser Basin in Yellowstone National Park. On Saturday the 24th of September Dr. Boyd was joined by the Webelos of Packs 524 and 552 of Livingston, Montana, with the goal of finding out what life might look like on another planet.

Dr. Boyd began the expedition by explaining some basic background on what Yellowstone is, how the Yellowstone area was formed, and some basic safety instructions on walking through a geothermal area as well as instructions on using the laser guns and pH strips he had brought for the Webolos. It was time to go 'Alien Hunting'.

The Scouts started their hunt at Echinus Geyser by first testing the temperature of the spring with their lasers. They were surprised to find that the temperature was between 156 and 166 degrees Fahrenheit; everybody agreed that it was way too hot for most life to survive. However the Scouts noted that the deep reds, oranges and faint greens associated with the spring seemed to indicate that life is present. At the outflow of the geyser the Scouts tested a sample of the spring water, sampled by Dr. Boyd, and found that it had a pH of between 3 and 4, a very acidic and extreme environment when compared to the boys drinking water which was pH 7.

The boys took their results to Dr. Boyd, who indicated that they were correct in believing that the spring was acidic, but that we should consider how life is thriving in such high temperature and acid conditions. Then Dr. Boyd shared with the boys why NASA scientists study geysers such at this: the iron-rich habitat at Echinus can be considered to be an Earth analog for what might be present on Mars since it is known that the red planet is rich in iron and has had hot springs in its distant past.
"The Boys learned how to look at a spring and based on visual observations, predict the pH and temperature of the spring as well as how the organisms were making a living. Such imaginative thinking is truly the cornerstone of NASA's astrobiology exploration program - in essence identifying patterns and using this to predict an outcome. Through iteration, such as what the Scouts experienced today in the Norris Geyser Basin, we refine our predictions and culminate in understanding" said Boyd. "The collective ideas that this group of youngsters generated about how life survives in extreme environments and the enthusiasm that the students had for NASA-supported science was impressive. I look forward to seeing how this group of young men progress through their Scout Program and their academic education."

The boys left the park with fond memories of red iron-eating bugs, black caldrons filled with mud, and pools of life that had found a way to survive in extreme environments. "What a wonderful opportunity Yellowstone National Park provides each of us to learn about the natural world that surrounds each and every one of us." said Boyd.

Source: NAI Newsletter

Posted by Keith Cowing at 12:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A new study from NASA Astrobiology Program-funded scientists points to a rapid collapse of Earth's species 252 million years ago.

Since the first organisms appeared on Earth approximately 3.8 billion years ago, life on the planet has had some close calls. In the last 500 million years, Earth has undergone five mass extinctions, including the event 66 million years ago that wiped out the dinosaurs. And while most scientists agree that a giant asteroid was responsible for that extinction, there's much less consensus on what caused an even more devastating extinction more than 185 million years earlier.

The end-Permian extinction occurred 252.2 million years ago, decimating 90 percent of marine and terrestrial species, from snails and small crustaceans to early forms of lizards and amphibians. "The Great Dying," as it's now known, was the most severe mass extinction in Earth's history, and is probably the closest life has come to being completely extinguished. Possible causes include immense volcanic eruptions, rapid depletion of oxygen in the oceans, and -- an unlikely option -- an asteroid collision.

While the causes of this global catastrophe are unknown, an MIT-led team of researchers has now established that the end-Permian extinction was extremely rapid, triggering massive die-outs both in the oceans and on land in less than 20,000 years -- the blink of an eye in geologic time. The researchers also found that this time period coincides with a massive buildup of atmospheric carbon dioxide, which likely triggered the simultaneous collapse of species in the oceans and on land.

With further calculations, the group found that the average rate at which carbon dioxide entered the atmosphere during the end-Permian extinction was slightly below today's rate of carbon dioxide release into the atmosphere due to fossil fuel emissions. Over tens of thousands of years, increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide during the Permian period likely triggered severe global warming, accelerating species extinctions.

The researchers also discovered evidence of simultaneous and widespread wildfires that may have added to end-Permian global warming, triggering what they deem "catastrophic" soil erosion and making environments extremely arid and inhospitable.

The researchers present their findings this week in Science, and say the new timescale may help scientists home in on the end-Permian extinction's likely causes.

For more information: http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2011/mass-extinction-1118.html

Source: NAI Newsletter

Posted by Keith Cowing at 12:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The NASA Astrobiology Program is pleased to announce the selection of five new NASA Postdoctoral Fellows:

Paula Welander
Advisor: Roger Summons (MIT)
Investigating the Biological Function of Sterols and Hopanoids in Methylococcus capsulatus

Matthew Herron
Advisor: Frank Rosenzweig (University of Montana)
Theoretical and Experimental Investigations into the Evolution of Complexity

Betul Arslan
Advisor: Eric Gaucher (Georgia Institute of Technology)
The Role of Chance and Necessity in Evolution: An Experimental Model to Discover Life's Solutions

Melissa Rice
Advisor: John Grotzinger (CalTech)
High-Resolution Mineral Stratigraphy of Mars

Arsev Aydinoglu
Co-Advisors: Suzie Allard (University of Tennessee) and Ed Goolish (NAI Central)
The Collaborative Practices of the NASA Astrobiology Institute: The Assessment of an Interdisciplinary Virtual Scientific Organization

More information about the NPP can be found at http://astrobiology.nasa.gov/nai/funding/nai-postdoctoral-fellowship-program/

Source: NAI Newsletter

Posted by Keith Cowing at 12:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Both the Call for Abstracts and Conference Registration will open at the AbSciCon website on Tuesday, November 22nd. Information on student travel grant applications will also be available, as well as updated logistics information.

For more information: http://abscicon2012.arc.nasa.gov/

Source: NAI Newsletter

Posted by Keith Cowing at 12:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Are You the Next Carl Sagan? Come Find Out at FameLab Astrobiology! Calling all grad students and post docs doing research related to astrobiology.....FameLab Astrobiology is a science communication extravaganza! Via four preliminaries and one final competition--spanning January thru April 2012--early career astrobiologists will compete to convey their own research or related science concepts. Each contestant has the spotlight for only three minutes....no slides, no charts--just the power of words and anything you can hold in your hands. A panel of experts in both science and science communication will do the judging. One of the four preliminaries will be held 100% online via YouTube!

Beyond the competition, at each preliminary event there will be science communication training and enrichment activities, providing exposure to alternative careers. There will also be a two-day master class for finalists just prior to AbSciCon 2012 in April. Other science communication opportunities will be available, including joining a network of other FameLab participants from around the globe!

Registration and more info can be found at: http://astrobiologyfamelab.arc.nasa.gov/

Download the poster here.

Please contact Daniella Scalice at the NASA Astrobiology Institute with any questions: daniella.m.scalice@nasa.gov

Source: NAI Newsletter

Posted by Keith Cowing at 12:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

On September 20th, NAI Director Carl Pilcher delivered a colloquium to the NASA Ames community about NAI Founding Director Barry Blumberg. Focusing on his early career, his path to discovering the Hepatitis B virus and developing a vaccine, and ultimately his winning of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, Carl discusses how Barry's medical career shaped his perspectives on astrobiology and his actions as NAI Director.

Click here to view the colloquium.

Source: NAI Newsletter

Posted by Keith Cowing at 12:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Comparative Survival Analysis of Deinococcus Radiodurans and the Haloarchaea Natrialba Magadii and Haloferax Volcanii, Exposed to Vacuum Ultraviolet Irradiation

Ximena C. Abrevaya, Ivan G. Paulino-Lima, Douglas Galante, Fabio Rodrigues, Pablo J.D. Mauas, Eduardo Corton, Claudia de Alencar Santos Lage
(Submitted on 29 Sep 2011)

The haloarchaea Natrialba magadii and Haloferax volcanii, as well as the radiation-resistant bacterium Deinococcus radiodurans, were exposed to vacuum-UV (V-UV) radiation at the Brazilian Synchrotron Light Laboratory (LNLS). Cell monolayers (containing 10⁵ - 10⁶ cells per sample) were prepared over polycarbonate filters and irradiated under high vacuum (10^-5 Pa) with polychromatic synchrotron radiation. N. magadii was remarkably resistant to high vacuum with a survival fraction of ((3.77 ± 0.76) x 10^-2), larger than the one of D. radiodurans ((1.13 ± 0.23) x 10^-2). The survival fraction of the haloarchaea H. volcanii, of ((3.60 ± 1.80) x 10^-4), was much smaller. Radiation resistance profiles were similar between the haloarchaea and D. radiodurans for fluencies up to 150 J m^-2. For fluencies larger than 150 J ^-2 there was a significant decrease in the survival of haloarchaea, and in particular H. volcanii did not survive. Survival for D. radiodurans was 1% after exposure to the higher V-UV fluency (1350 J m^-2) while N. magadii had a survival lower than 0.1%. Such survival fractions are discussed regarding the possibility of interplanetary transfer of viable micro-organisms and the possible existence of microbial life in extraterrestrial salty environments such as the planet Mars and the Jupiter's moon Europa. This is the first work reporting survival of haloarchaea under simulated interplanetary conditions.

Full paper

Comments: Draft version (without figures), Accepted for publication in Astrobiology
Subjects: Earth and Planetary Astrophysics (astro-ph.EP)
Cite as: arXiv:1109.6590v1 [astro-ph.EP]
Submission history
From: Ximena Celeste Abrevaya [view email]
[v1] Thu, 29 Sep 2011 17:02:52 GMT (131kb)

Posted by Keith Cowing at 12:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Call for Session Topics and Session Organizers for AbSciCon 2012 has been extended until OCTOBER 15.

The Astrobiology Science Conference (AbSciCon) relies on input from the astrobiology community in developing the conference program. The organizing committee is currently seeking nominations for session, symposium and workshop topics. The deadline for session nominations has been extended to October 15, 2011.

To submit your session topic, visit the conference website at:
http://abscicon2012.arc.nasa.gov/

KEY DATES

September 1, 2011 - Call for Session Topics/Organizers
October 15, 2011 - SESSION TOPIC PROPOSAL DEADLINE
November 15, 2011 - Call for Abstracts
January 31, 2012 - ABSTRACT DEADLINE
March 1, 2012 - Conference Program posted
March 31, 2012 - Pre-registration deadline
April 16-20, 2012 - ASTROBIOLOGY SCIENCE CONFERENCE 2012

Source: NAI newsletter

Posted by Keith Cowing at 2:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Applications are now being accepted for the "Sao Paulo Advanced School of Astrobiology - Making Connections (SPASA 2011)", organized by the Department of Astronomy of the Universidade de Sao Paulo and by the Sao Paulo Research Foundation, Brazil.

Location: Sao Paulo, Brazil
Date: December 11 to 20, 2011

Home Page: www.astro.iag.usp.br/~spasa2011

Target audience: Undergraduate, graduate students and early career post-docs in biology, physics, astronomy, chemistry, earth sciences and related areas.

Objective: Astrobiology is a multidisciplinary field that aims to study the origin, evolution, distribution and future of life in the Universe, with a broad and multidisciplinary scope, requiring a constant dialogue among different areas. This is a new and very promising scientific research field, with the ambitious goal of seeking answers to some of the most complex scientific questions. The SPASA aims to bring together renowned experts from different countries with students of different fields in a multidisciplinary event that will address some of the general themes of research in astrobiology, as well as more specific topics in the frontier of science that are being developed worldwide. Stimulating the connection between topics and the exchange of knowledge among the participants is the main goal of this event.

Application Period: Until October 1, 2011, through the event website. Contact: spasa2011@astro.iag.usp.br

Selected participants from all countries will have travel and accommodation expenses covered by the Sao Paulo Research Foundation.

Source: NAI newsletter

Posted by Keith Cowing at 12:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Interested in helping scientists pinpoint where to look for signs of life on Mars? Now you can, with an exciting new citizen science website called MAPPER (getmapper.com) that was launched in conjunction with the Pavilion Lake Research Project's 2011 field season.

The Pavilion Lake Research Project (PLRP, pavilionlake.com), which is supported by NASA and the Canadian Space Agency, has been investigating the underwater environment of Pavilion and Kelly Lake in British Columbia, Canada with DeepWorker submersible vehicles (Nuytco Ltd, nuytco.com) since 2008. Now with MAPPER, you can work side-by-side with NASA scientists to explore the bottom of these lakes from the perspective of a DeepWorker pilot.

The PLRP team makes use of DeepWorker subs to explore and document freshwater carbonate formations known as microbialites that thrive in Pavilion and Kelly Lake. Many scientists believe that a better understanding of how and where these rare microbialite formations develop will lead to deeper insights into where signs of life may be found on Mars and beyond. To investigate microbialite formation in detail, terabytes of video footage and photos of the lake bottom are recorded by PLRP's DeepWorker sub pilots. This data must be analyzed to determine what types of features can be found in different parts of the lake. Ultimately, detailed maps can be generated to help answer questions like "how does microbialite texture and size vary with depth?" and "why do microbialites grow in certain parts of the lake but not in others?". But before these questions can be answered, all the data must be analyzed.

Continue reading "New Citizen Science Project: Pavilion Lake Research Project" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 12:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Dear Colleague, I write to invite you to attend AbSciCon 2012 and to seek your participation in developing the meeting program. In the long tradition of AbSciCon, the Program Committee will rely on input from the astrobiology community in developing the program. We seek your nominations for session, symposium and workshop topics. Please refer to the meeting web page to nominate a session and to observe important deadlines. The deadline for session nominations is October 15, 2011. The call for abstracts is November 15. The abstract deadline is Jan 31, 2012. For further information, consult the AbSciCon Meeting Web Page: abscicon2012.arc.nasa.gov/

Cheers,
Loren Williams
Professor & Director, Ribo Evo Center
School of Chemistry & Biochemistry
Georgia Tech
Important AbSciCon 2012 Timepoints

Sept 1, 2011 Call for Session Topics/Organizers
Oct 15, 2011 SESSION TOPIC PROPOSAL DEADLINE
Nov 15, 2011 Call for Abstracts Jan 31, 2012 ABSTRACT DEADLINE
Mar 1, 2012 Conference Program posted
Mar 31, 2012 Pre-registration deadline
April 16-20, 2012 Astrobiology Science Conference 2012

Posted by Keith Cowing at 1:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Betty Pierazzo, Senior Scientist at the Planetary Science Institute (PSI), died on Sunday, May 15, at her home in Tucson, Arizona. She was 47. Betty was an expert in the area of impact modeling throughout the solar system as well as an expert on the astrobiological and environmental effects of impacts on Earth and Mars. She had a passion for teaching and was a driving force in the development and expansion of PSI's education and public outreach program. Betty approached both life and work with enthusiasm and joy and was an inspiring colleague, teacher, mentor, and staunch friend.

Memorial sites have been posted at: http://www.psi.edu/memorial/betty.html and http://www.facebook.com/pages/Memorial-for-Betty-Pierazzo/220737251271988

Posted by Keith Cowing at 4:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Geological Society of London, the recognised UK professional body for geoscientists, awards several medals each year to honor significant contributions to the geological sciences. Please join us in congratulating Bruce Watson of NAI's RPI team who is the 2011 recipient of the Society's Murchison Medal. The Society's Awards for 2011 were presented on 8 June 2011.

The Murchison Medal is given to an individual each year who has made a significant contribution to the science by means of a substantial body of research. The Society regards this medal very highly and it is not normally awarded on the basis of a few good papers. Workers in both 'pure' and 'applied' aspects of the geological sciences are eligible. The Murchison Medal is normally given for contributions to 'hard' rock studies.

For more information: http://www.geolsoc.org.uk/webdav/site/GSL/shared/pdfs/events/abstracts/Senior%20medallist%20talks.pdf

Posted by Keith Cowing at 4:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This year's recipient of the prestigious Darwin-Wallace Medal is James A. Lake, professor of molecular, cell, and developmental biology at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and a researcher with NASA's Astrobiology Program. The Linnean Society of London awards this medal for major advances in evolutionary biology. Lake received the medal in London on May 25, 2011.

Lake is a collaborator with the NASA Astrobiology Institute's (NAI) NASA Ames Research Center team, which is studying early habitable environments and the evolution of complexity in planetary environments and life. Lake's NAI research focuses on the origins of functional proteins and the early evolution of metabolism.

A member of UCLA's Molecular Biology Institute, Lake is known for his expertise in genomics and bioinformatics, including the origin and evolution of genomes. Among his more recent accomplishments is his discovery of the first exclusively prokaryotic endosymbiosis--the merger of two prokaryotes to form a new, eukaryotic life form. Prokaryotes are single-celled life forms without membrane-bound nuclei, whereas eukaryotic cells contain membrane-bound nuclei.

"Dr. Lake's contributions to astrobiology are critical," said Mary A. Voytek, Senior Scientist for Astrobiology at NASA Headquarters. "He and his collaborators are helping us to accomplish key goals in our Astrobiology Roadmap: understanding the general physical and chemical principles underlying the origins of life, how life and the environment on Earth have co-evolved through geological time, and the evolutionary mechanisms and environmental limits of life."

Continue reading "Astrobiologist Wins Darwin-Wallace Medal" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 12:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The organizing committee for the 2012 Astrobiology Science Conference (AbSciCon) is now soliciting community input for session topics and session organizers. Proposals for session topics must be received by September 30, 2011.

AbSciCon 2012 will be hosted by the Georgia Institute of Technology from April 16 - 20, 2012, in Atlanta, GA.

To submit session topics for AbSciCon and for further details on the conference, visit:
http://abscicon2012.arc.nasa.gov

Posted by Keith Cowing at 10:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A new Astrobiology Centre will be started at Stockholm University this autumn. It will be a virtual Centre (with no separate administration) and comprise scientists engaged in physics, astronomy, geology, geochemistry and molecular biology. The centre will be carrying on the activities of the Astrobiology Graduate School at Stockholm Graduate School on a broader and larger scale. Although the training activities will continue, the scope of the Stockholm University Astrobiology Centre will encompass multidisciplinary science projects, outreach activities and co-operation with other astrobiology institutions. Four post-docs and 5 graduate students will be employed by the centre through funding from the Stockholm University Faculty of Sciences. Common interdisciplinary scientific projects of SU-ABC include:

* Siderophores as tool for dissolving, transport and reduction of crystalline material and properties of the organisms that produce them
* Serpentinisation on Earth and other objects in the solar system as a source for molecular hydrogen
* To find life at large distances - biomarkers
* Polyaromatic hydrocarbons in space
* Negative ions in the Universe
* Formation of complex molecules in the interstellar medium

The Stockholm University Astrobiology Centre will be officially launched on 2 September 2011. A programme of the opening day can be found here.

Posted by Keith Cowing at 4:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The 8th annual Astrobiology Graduate Conference (AbGradCon) was held at Montana State University (MSU) in Bozeman, MT from June 5-8, 2011. AbGradCon is unique in that it is organized by and targeted toward graduate students and postdocs, no more than three years from receiving their PhD, from across the sub-disciplines of astrobiology. This year's conference organization required two years of collaboration between students in Colorado and Montana, with great results.

In total there were 72 attendees at AbGradCon, including 8 international attendees from 7 different countries (Australia, Canada, Georgia, Germany, Hungary, Italy, and Scotland). The disciplines of the attendees were well distributed across astrobiology, with representation from the geological sciences (20 attendees), biological sciences (19), chemistry (15), astronomy and physics (12), and engineering/other (6). All attendees presented their work either with a 12-minute talk or a two-minute lightening talk and a poster.

The scientific program for AbGradCon 2011 consisted of two full days of talks, broken into eight different sessions on fairly broad topics, followed by afternoon poster sessions. All of the talks were broadcast live online in an Adobe Connect Meeting Room and recorded, and are now available on the conference website. The conference program also included three different career development activities. The first was "NASA Night", an informal and very popular presentation and discussion by Dr. Shawn Domagal-Goldman (NASA HQ) about opportunities for graduate and postdoctoral fellowships, research grants and programs, missions, and other opportunities with NASA. Second, the invited speaker for the conference banquet, Dr. Kevin Hand (JPL), gave an inspirational talk about his career path titled "Adventures in Astrobiology: A Random Walk to a Known Goal." The third career development opportunity was the "Europa Collaborative Session." This was an informal presentation by Dr. James Kinsey (WHOI) titled "Analogues for Astrobiological Exploration in the Earth's Deep Oceans with the National Deep Submergence Facility Vehicles: Current ASTEP Programs and Future Opportunities". The feedback from conference participants was that these events were very useful for learning about opportunities, as well as for starting conversations with each other about future research and outreach projects.

Continue reading "8th annual Astrobiology Graduate Conference - AbGradCon - 2011" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 4:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This year's recipient of the prestigious Darwin-Wallace Medal is James A. Lake, professor of molecular, cell, and developmental biology at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and a researcher with NASA's Astrobiology Program. The Linnean Society of London awards this medal for major advances in evolutionary biology. Lake received the medal in London on May 25, 2011.

Lake is a collaborator with the NASA Astrobiology Institute's (NAI) NASA Ames Research Center team, which is studying early habitable environments and the evolution of complexity in planetary environments and life. Lake's NAI research focuses on the origins of functional proteins and the early evolution of metabolism.

A member of UCLA's Molecular Biology Institute, Lake is known for his expertise in genomics and bioinformatics, including the origin and evolution of genomes. Among his more recent accomplishments is his discovery of the first exclusively prokaryotic endosymbiosis--the merger of two prokaryotes to form a new, eukaryotic life form. Prokaryotes are single-celled life forms without membrane-bound nuclei, whereas eukaryotic cells contain membrane-bound nuclei.

"Dr. Lake's contributions to astrobiology are critical," said Mary A. Voytek, Senior Scientist for Astrobiology at NASA Headquarters. "He and his collaborators are helping us to accomplish key goals in our Astrobiology Roadmap: understanding the general physical and chemical principles underlying the origins of life, how life and the environment on Earth have co-evolved through geological time, and the evolutionary mechanisms and environmental limits of life."

Lake Co-chairs the NAI's Focus Group on evogenomics. He previously served on two NAI teams, headed by UCLA and the Marine Biological Laboratory.

"Dr. Lake has contributed to astrobiology not only through his research, but by helping bring together the astrobiology community," said Carl Pilcher, Director of the NAI. Through workshops and meetings, he catalyzed work by geologists and biologists to advance our understanding of how Earth and life have evolved together."

Continue reading "Astrobiologist Wins Darwin-Wallace Medal" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 12:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Geological Society of London, the recognised UK professional body for geoscientists, awards several medals each year to honor significant contributions to the geological sciences. Please join us in congratulating Bruce Watson of NAI's RPI team who is the 2011 recipient of the Society's Murchison Medal. The Society's Awards for 2011 were presented on 8 June 2011.

The Murchison Medal is given to an individual each year who has made a significant contribution to the science by means of a substantial body of research. The Society regards this medal very highly and it is not normally awarded on the basis of a few good papers. Workers in both 'pure' and 'applied' aspects of the geological sciences are eligible. The Murchison Medal is normally given for contributions to 'hard' rock studies.

For more information: http://www.geolsoc.org.uk/webdav/site/GSL/shared/pdfs/events/abstracts/Senior%20medallist%20talks.pdf

Posted by Keith Cowing at 12:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The goal of NASA's Exobiology and Evolutionary Biology (EXOB) program is to understand the origin, evolution, distribution, and future of life in the Universe. Research is centered on the origin and early evolution of life, the potential of life to adapt to different environments, and the implications for life elsewhere. This research is conducted in the context of NASA's ongoing exploration of our stellar neighborhood and the identification of biosignatures for in situ and remote sensing applications.

This amendment delays the proposal due date for C.17 Astrobiology: Exobiology and Evolutionary Biology (EXOB). To better synchronize the EXOB evaluation and selection cycle with the Federal budget process, Exobiology grants should start near the beginning of the Federal fiscal year (October 1). To achieve this, the Exobiology proposal due date will be moved to the June time frame. To minimize the impact of this move, it will be done in two steps. The first step is to move the due date for ROSES 2011 (this solicitation) to early March. NASA's ROSES-2012 call will not include a solicitation for Exobiology proposals. EXOB solicitations will resume in ROSES-2013, with a proposal due date of June 2013.

Continue reading "ROSES-11 Amendment 18: Delay of due dates for Astrobiology: Exobiology and Evolutionary Biology" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 12:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Emily Knowles: The eighth annual Astrobiology Graduate Conference (AbGradCon) was held at Montana State University (MSU) in Bozeman, MT from June 5-8, 2011. AbGradCon is unique in that it is organized and targeted toward graduate students and postdocs, no more than three years from receiving their PhD, from across the sub-disciplines of astrobiology. This year's conference organization required two years of collaboration between students in Colorado and Montana, with great results.

In total there were 72 attendees at AbGradCon, including 8 international attendees from 7 different countries (Australia, Canada, Georgia, Germany, Hungary, Italy, and Scotland). The disciplines of the attendees were well distributed across astrobiology, with representation from the geological sciences (20 attendees), biological sciences (19), chemistry (15), astronomy and physics (12), and engineering/other (6). All attendees presented their work either with a 12-minute talk or a two-minute lightening talk and a poster.

The scientific program for AbGradCon 2011 consisted of two full days of talks, broken into eight different sessions on fairly broad topics, followed by afternoon poster sessions. All of the talks were broadcast live online in an Adobe Connect Meeting Room and recorded, and are now available on the conference website. The conference program also included three different career development activities. The first was "NASA Night", an informal and very popular presentation and discussion by Dr. Shawn Domagal-Goldman (NASA HQ) about opportunities for graduate and postdoctoral fellowships, research grants and programs, missions, and other opportunities with NASA. Second, the invited speaker for the conference banquet, Dr. Kevin Hand (JPL), gave an inspirational talk about his career path titled "Adventures in Astrobiology: A Random Walk to a Known Goal." The third career development opportunity was the "Europa Collaborative Session." This was an informal presentation by Dr. James Kinsey (WHOI) titled "Analogues for Astrobiological Exploration in the Earth's Deep Oceans with the National Deep Submergence Facility Vehicles: Current ASTEP Programs and Future opportunities". The feedback from conference participants was that these events were very useful for learning about opportunities, as well for starting conversations with each other about future research and outreach projects.

Continue reading "AbGradCon 2011" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 3:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

58% Believe Life Exists On Other Planets, Rasmussenreports.com

Survey of 1,000 Adults

* 58% of American Adults think it's at least somewhat likely life exists on other planets; 34% do not believe it's likely
* That number includes 33% who say it's Very Likely life exists outside of Earth and 8% who believe it's Not At All Likely
* 49% say it's likely that a human will walk on Mars in the next 25 years, down slightly from December 2006
* 42% think it's unlikely a human will make it to Mars, that includes 20% who say it's Very Likely and 8% who believe it's Not At All Likely

Posted by Keith Cowing at 2:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

From: "New, Michael H. (HQ-DG000)
Subject: Exobiology 2010 Update #4
Date: July 22, 2011 5:04:32 AM GMT+08:00

Thursday, July 21, 2011

Toward providing greater stability and certainty in the Astrobiology Program, we are shifting proposal deadlines and funding cycles for some Astrobiology Program elements. Today I am writing to you about the Exobiology Program. Changes to other programs are in the works, and I will update you when we have solid plans in place.

As you know, federal spending is under intense scrutiny. In addition, the timing of the federal budget review and approval process has been less than ideal. These developments have affected our ability to manage Astrobiology Program funds as effectively as we would like. Over the past decade, the proposal due date for the Exobiology Program has moved from June to August, then to September, and, finally, to October. This shift has moved starting dates for new grants later into the federal fiscal year and thus placed greater budget pressure on the Astrobiology Program.

To relieve these pressures, new Exobiology grants need to start near the beginning of the federal fiscal year, ideally in November. To achieve this goal, we need to move the Exobiology proposal due date back to June. To minimize the impact of this change on our community, Michael New and I have decided to make the change in steps.

First, the due date for ROSES-2011 proposals in Exobiology will move up from October 2011 to March 2012. Second, NASA's ROSES-2012 call will not include a solicitation for Exobiology proposals. Third, Exobiology solicitations will resume in ROSES-2013, with a proposal due date of June 2013.

We are currently in the process of making our selections from the ROSES-2010 solicitation; notifications will be made soon and awards will start early November 2011. We intend to make awards for selected proposals from ROSES-2011 in 2012 and from ROSES-2013 in 2013 and every subsequent year for the foreseeable future.

Thank you for your patience and support,

Mary & Michael
--
Michael H. New, PhD
Astrobiology Discipline Scientist
Lead Discovery Program Scientist
Planetary Science Division
NASA Headquarters

Posted by Keith Cowing at 10:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Monday, June 20, 2011

I had hoped by now to have selection recommendations complete. However, as I was working through the reviews, a budget reduction to Exobiology was unexpectedly announced. Mary Voytek and I are fighting back and hope to reclaim some of the funding but until I know my budget, I cannot make selection recommendations. It is likely, though, that this year's selections will be fewer than expected.

Michael H. New, PhD
Astrobiology Discipline Scientist
Lead Discovery Program Scientist
Planetary Science Division

Posted by Keith Cowing at 7:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The due dates for Notices of Intent (NOIs) to Appendix C.16: Planetary Instrument Definition and Development (PIDD) and Appendix C.19 Astrobiology Science and Technology for Instrument Development (ASTID) have been changed to 7/1/2011

The Planetary Instrument Definition and Development Program (PIDDP) supports the advancement of spacecraft-based instrument technology that shows promise for use in scientific investigations on future planetary missions. The goal of the program is not to develop flight-qualified hardware, but rather to define and develop scientific instruments or components of such instruments to the point where the instruments may be proposed in response to future announcements of flight opportunity without additional extensive technology development. Results of PIDDP have contributed to the development of flight hardware flown on, or selected for, many of NASA's planetary missions. The proposed instrument technology must address specific scientific objectives of likely future science missions.

The Astrobiology Science and Technology for Instrument Development (ASTID) program element requests proposals to develop instrumentation capabilities to help meet Astrobiology science requirements on future space flight missions, as well as unique Astrobiology science objectives on Earth. Selected activities are expected to advance the development of scientific instruments or instrument components to the point where the instruments could credibly be proposed in response to future flight opportunity announcements, including instruments that could be accommodated on or in small satellites (under 50kg total spacecraft mass), or as small payloads in support of future science activities associated with missions of human exploration. Note that proposals to build and fly hardware on a specific mission opportunity are not a part of this program element. In addition, the development of instruments for use in future field campaigns is solicited under the Astrobiology Science and Technology for Exploring Planets (ASTEP) program (see Appendix C.20).

This amendment changes the due dates for NOIs to Appendix C.16: Planetary Instrument Definition and Development (PIDD) and Appendix C.19 Astrobiology Science and Technology for Instrument Development (ASTID) to 7/1/2011. Tables two and three have been updated to reflect this change.

On or about June 10, 2011, this Amendment to the NASA Research Announcement "Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Sciences (ROSES) 2011" (NNH11ZDA001N) will be posted on the NASA research opportunity homepage at http://nspires.nasaprs.com/ (select "Solicitations" then "Open Solicitations" then "NNH11ZDA001N"). You can now track amendments, clarifications and corrections to ROSES and subscribe to an RSS feed at: http://nasascience.nasa.gov/researchers/sara/grant-solicitations/roses-2011

Questions concerning PIDD proposals may be addressed to: Janice Buckner, Planetary Science Division, Science Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters, Washington, DC 20546-0001; Telephone: (202) 358-0183; HQ-PIDDP@mail.nasa.gov.

Questions concerning ASTID proposals may be addressed to: Michael New, Planetary Science Division, Science Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters, Washington, DC 20546-0001; Telephone: (202) 358-1766; HQ-ASTID@mail.nasa.gov.

Posted by Keith Cowing at 4:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Final text for Appendix C.16: Planetary Instrument Definition and Development (PIDD) and notice of co-review with proposals to Appendix C.19 Astrobiology Science and Technology for Instrument Development (ASTID).

The Planetary Instrument Definition and Development Program (PIDDP) supports the advancement of spacecraft-based instrument technology that shows promise for use in scientific investigations on future planetary missions. The goal of the program is not to develop flight-qualified hardware, but rather to define and develop scientific instruments or components of such instruments to the point where the instruments may be proposed in response to future announcements of flight opportunity without additional extensive technology development. Results of PIDDP have contributed to the development of flight hardware flown on, or selected for, many of NASA's planetary missions. The proposed instrument technology must address specific scientific objectives of likely future science missions.

This amendment presents the revised text for PIDDP, Appendix C.16 of ROSES-2011. This text replaces in its entirety the draft text released with ROSES-11. Please note that proposals submitted to Appendix C.19 Astrobiology Science and Technology for Instrument Development and Appendix C.16, PIDD, will be reviewed together and thus, if identical proposals are submitted to both programs, only one will be reviewed. The due date for PIDD Notices of Intent remains unchanged at July 15, 2011, but the due date for proposals has been changed to August 26, 2011.

On or about April 28, 2011, this Amendment to the NASA Research Announcement "Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Sciences (ROSES) 2011" (NNH11ZDA001N) will be posted on the NASA research opportunity homepage at http://nspires.nasaprs.com/ (select "Solicitations" then "Open Solicitations" then "NNH11ZDA001N"). You can now track amendments, clarifications and corrections to ROSES and subscribe to an RSS feed at: http://nasascience.nasa.gov/researchers/sara/grant-solicitations/roses-2011

Questions concerning PIDD proposals may be addressed to:
Janice Buckner, Planetary Science Division, Science Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters, Washington, DC 20546-0001; Telephone: (202) 358-0183;
HQ-PIDD@mail.nasa.gov.

Posted by Keith Cowing at 4:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

May 12-13, 2011

A two-day workshop using NAI remote communications tools will be held on May 12th and 13th, 2011. Real-time participation requires only an internet connection and is available to interested scientists from around the world. More details, including connection and registration information, is available at the meeting website given below.

Synopsis

Over the past 4 billion years, the Earth and its biosphere have undergone a series of linked transitions in redox state, biochemical plasticity, and biological diversity. In order to study this evolution, diverse scientific disciplines, including inorganic and organic geochemistry, microbiology, and genomics, we must overcome traditional disciplinary barriers and interact. In recent years, numerous technological advances have resulted in rapid advances in each of these fields. One of the most striking has been the development of cheaper and more efficient sequencing technologies, along with attendant advances in genetics and the computational techniques to leverage the resulting data. To facilitate interactions between paleobiologists and scientists using the latest techniques in molecular biology and genomics, a symposium will be held at the J. Craig Venter Institute in San Diego, California. The primary objective is the exchange of knowledge and the development of a dialog that might yield cutting-edge ideas for future work.

Confirmed Speakers

Tim Lyons, University of California, Riverside
Gordon Love, University of California, Riverside
James Lake, University of California, Los Angeles
Gustavo Caetano-Anolles, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
Lawrence David, Harvard University
Trinity Hamilton, Montana State University
Ziming Zhao, Georgia Tech
Clyde Hutchison, J. Craig Venter Institute
Kate Freeman, Pennsylvania State University
Dave Doughty, California Institute of Technology
Jason Raymond, Arizona State University
Andrew Allen, J. Craig Venter Institute
Jack Bailey, University of Minnesota
Frank Stewart, Georgia Tech

The workshop will consist of talks and discussion. Each presentation will allow ample time for questions and answers afterwards. We encourage researchers to attend in real time to engage in what we expect will be a lively exchange of ideas during the workshop.

Workshop Organizing Committee

Chris Dupont, J. Craig Venter Institute
Ariel Anbar, Arizona State University
John Peters, Montana State University

For more information and participation instructions, visit: http://astrobiology.nasa.gov/nai/geobiology2011

Posted by Keith Cowing at 4:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Astrobiology Science and Technology for Instrument Development (ASTID) program element requests proposals to develop instrumentation capabilities to help meet Astrobiology science requirements on future space flight missions, as well as unique Astrobiology science objectives on Earth. Selected activities are expected to advance the development of scientific instruments or instrument components to the point where the instruments could credibly be proposed in response to future flight opportunity announcements, including instruments that could be accommodated on or in small satellites (under 50kg total spacecraft mass), or as small payloads in support of future science activities associated with missions of human exploration. Note that proposals to build and fly hardware on a specific mission opportunity are not a part of this program element. In addition, the development of instruments for use in future field campaigns is solicited under the Astrobiology Science and Technology for Exploring Planets (ASTEP) program (see Appendix C.20).

This amendment notes that proposals to ASTID and the Planetary Instrument Definition and Development Program (PIDDP; Appendix C.16) will be reviewed together and thus, if identical proposals are submitted to both programs, only one will be reviewed. For the ASTID program the due date for notices of intent has been changed to June 24, 2011, and the due date for proposals has been changed to August 26, 2011.

On or about April 8, 2011, this Amendment to the NASA Research Announcement "Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Sciences (ROSES) 2011" (NNH11ZDA001N) will be posted on the NASA research opportunity homepage at http://nspires.nasaprs.com/ (select "Solicitations" then "Open Solicitations" then "NNH11ZDA001N"). You can now track amendments, clarifications and corrections to ROSES and subscribe to an RSS feed at: http://nasascience.nasa.gov/researchers/sara/grant-solicitations/roses-2011

Questions concerning ASTID proposals may be addressed to: Michael New, Planetary Science Division, Science Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters, Washington, DC 20546-0001; Telephone: (202) 358-1766; HQ-ASTID@mail.nasa.gov.

Posted by Keith Cowing at 3:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The University of Hawaii NASA Astrobiology Institute (UHNAI) will host the invitation-only Computational Astrobiology Summer Symposium (CASS) from August 1-15 2011. This is an excellent opportunity for graduate students in computer science and related areas to expand their knowledge of astrobiology by applying their computational skills in substantial projects that solve the real-world challenges faced by astrobiology research scientists.

The two-week on-site part of the program will be an intensive survey of the field of astrobiology. NASA Astrobiology Institute (NAI) scientists will present their work, and the group will discuss ways in which computational tools (e.g. models, simulations, data processing applications, sensor networks, etc.) could advance astrobiology research. Also during this time, participants will define their projects, with the help of the participating NAI researchers. Suitable projects are significant team or individual programming efforts that result in useful tools for astrobiology research.

On returning to their home institutions, participants will begin work on their projects, under the supervision of a mentor, with appropriate input from the astrobiologist(s). The amount of time required to complete a project will vary, but the effort should be roughly equivalent to a one semester, three credit-hour course. Indeed, we anticipate that most participants will arrange to earn credit for their project at their home institution. When the projects are completed, participants are expected to submit a poster to an astrobiology-related conference (some travel support available).

Application deadline: April 15, 2011

For more information, see http://www.ifa.hawaii.edu/UHNAI/CASS2011/

Source: NAI Newsletter

Posted by Keith Cowing at 12:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Every summer, NAI teams and others host hands-on, in-the-field, in-the-lab workshops for educators. The workshops feature cutting edge astrobiology research delivered by astrobiology scientists and education professionals, as well as inquiry- and standards-based activities ready for your classroom. Below is the list of offerings for Summer 2011.

ASTROBIOLOGY SUMMER SCIENCE EXPERIENCE for TEACHERS (ASSET)

Dates: July 17-23, 2011
Location: San Francisco, CA
Applications due: March 31, 2011
URL: http://www.seti.org/epo/ASSET

The ASSET experience will be intense and exciting, interactive and content rich, with presentations by leading astrobiology researchers from the SETI Institute, NASA, and the California Academy of Sciences. Participants receive the Voyages Through Time curriculum. All expenses are covered for participants.

ASTROBIOLOGY LABORATORY INSTITUTE FOR INSTRUCTORS (ALI'I)

Dates: July 7-13, 2011
Location: University of Hawai'i, Manoa, Oahu, HI
Applications due: March 31, 2011
Contact: Mary Kado'oka, kadooka@ifa.hawaii.edu

This workshop, designed for secondary science teachers, will introduce the big picture of astrobiology before delving deeper to highlight specific contributions from cosmochemistry, heliophysics, astronomy, geosciences and evolution. The central theme is "twin timelines" - the timeline of the universe (from the Big Bang to the origin of our species) and the timeline of human discoveries (from the Age of Enlightenment to emerging frontiers). Besides lectures and state-of-the-art lab tours, the newest development will be the active participation of all scientists leading hands-on activities. Registration fee is $50. Because of a tuition waiver, 3 University of Hawaii graduate education credits will be offered for the administrative fee of $158. A limited number of teachers from continental US will receive a subsidy of $1000 to defray expenses. Accepted Hawaii teachers will be fully subsidized. Dormitory accommodations will be available on the UH campus within walking distance of the workshop.

Source: NAI Newsletter

Posted by Keith Cowing at 12:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A new virtual Astrobiology Centre is being founded at Stockholm University to which the Departments of Astronomy, Geology, Physics, and Molecular Biology and Functional Genomics will contribute. The centre will conduct a multitude of interdisciplinary research efforts, some carried out in cooperation with NAI teams. Four postdoctoral researchers will be hired for these projects over the next four years. In addition, five graduate student (Ph.D.) positions starting in Fall 2011 have been announced (information at http://astrobiology.physto.se/ ).

In addition to research activities, the centre, which will be an extension of the existing Astrobiology Graduate School, will organise special courses in astrobiology, summer schools, conferences, and seminars. The Nordic Network of Astrobiology Graduate Schools is also coordinated from Stockholm University.

Source: NAI Newsletter

Posted by Keith Cowing at 12:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

We are now accepting applications to the NAI-sponsored Astrobiology Research Focus Group Workshop: an intensive three-day training workshop for early career astrobiologists. The goal of this workshop is to build collaborative proposal writing & research skills in the next generation of astrobiology scientists.

Through the course of the workshop, participants create an original proposal on a topic relevant to the current state of astrobiology research, which must be presented to a body of peers. Participants are encouraged to use the workshop as a forum for exploring creative and original research topics.

The 2009 and 2010 workshops produced several original research ideas. Highlights include: work leading to a successfully funded research grant through the NAI director's discretionary fund and an internationally recognized space policy paper proposing a METI protocol for messaging extraterrestrial intelligence.

New this year, we will be hosting an intimate NASA proposal writing workshop that will be led by Dr. Michael New from NASA headquarters.

Also new this year, we will unveil the details of the Young Investigator's Award: a new award being developed to provide support to research ideas developed at RFG.

Please visit our website to apply today and apply!

Food & Lodging for this workshop is covered for all accepted participants as is travel from Bozeman, MT to El Western Resort in Ennis, MT.

Applications will be open until April 8th, 2011!

http://www.facebook.com/l/be2f5RMipe5KYAs_-KZgorcJ4XA/www.abgradcon.org/rfg.html

if you have any questions please e-mail rfgw11@ http://www.facebook.com/l/be2f51XuGBHnuz3Rz3Ctgd6dvlg/gmail.com

Posted by Keith Cowing at 1:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

August 28-September 1, 2011
Denver, Colorado
At the Fall 2011 American Chemical Society National Meeting

Mars is the most accessible location outside of the Earth to investigate for evidence of past and present habitable zones and for extinct or extant extraterrestrial life.  Chemistry-based approaches provide the central tool in these exploration efforts. This search involves the interplay of physical, organic, inorganic, analytical, biological, and geochemistry along with inputs from atmospheric physics and remote imaging. NASA and ESA missions, some joint, will launch over the next 10 years and carry chemistry-based instrumentation to examine whether evidence of past/present habitability and habitation exists and where on Mars future exploration should be directed.

Submit abstracts by March 21 to: http://abstracts.acs.org

You need to register for an ACS user name and password, log in, select 242nd National Meeting, create new abstract (if first time), then "Chemistry as a Tool for Space Exploration and Discovery at Mars" under "CASW".

Contributed papers may be in the form of oral talks or posters. Symposium is co-sponsored by the NASA Astrobiology Institute.

Mark Allen (Mark.Allen@jpl.nasa.gov)
Jeff Bada (jbada@ucsd.edu)
Ronald Cohen (rccohen@berkeley.edu)

[Source: Planetary Exploration Newsletter]

Posted by Keith Cowing at 9:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

July 17, 2011
Barcelona, Spain

When speaking of AI in space the first thing that usually comes to most people's mind are science-fiction creations such as HAL 9000, C3PO and the like. Certainly that vision is still far away, nevertheless methods rooted in AI research constantly find more and more exciting applications in areas related to space engineering. For example, we have just recently witnessed the increase in intelligent behaviour implemented on board the two rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, that are still exploring the martian surface on our behalf. This workshop, co-organized by the Advanced Concepts Team (www.esa.int/act) of the European Space Agency and the Artificial Intelligence Group (http://www-aig.jpl.nasa.gov/) of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, is meant to look at the most recent applications and advances related to artificial intelligence and space, reviewing the current state of the dialogue between the two domains and discussing it's perspectives.

Continue reading "AI in Space: Intelligence Beyond Planet Earth" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 9:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

NNH11ZDA001N, entitled "Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Sciences - 2011 (ROSES-2011)," will be available on or about February 18, 2011, by opening the NASA Research Opportunities homepage at http://nspires.nasaprs.com/ and then linking through the menu listings "Solicitations" to "Open Solicitations." This NASA Research Announcement (NRA) solicits proposals for supporting basic and applied research and technology across a broad range of Earth and space science program elements relevant to one or more of the following NASA Research Programs: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Planetary Science, and Astrophysics.

This ROSES NRA covers all aspects of basic and applied supporting research and technology in space and Earth sciences, including, but not limited to: theory, modeling, and analysis of SMD science data; aircraft, stratospheric balloon, suborbital rocket, and commercial reusable rocket investigations; development of experiment techniques suitable for future SMD space missions; development of concepts for future SMD space missions; development of advanced technologies relevant to SMD missions; development of techniques for and the laboratory analysis of both extraterrestrial samples returned by spacecraft, as well as terrestrial samples that support or otherwise help verify observations from SMD Earth system science missions; determination of atomic and composition parameters needed to analyze space data, as well as returned samples from the Earth or space; Earth surface observations and field campaigns that support SMD science missions; development of integrated Earth system models; development of systems for applying Earth science research data to societal needs; and development of applied information systems applicable to SMD objectives and data.

Continue reading "Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Sciences - 2011 (ROSES-2011) Release Planned for Feb 18, 2011" »

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Annual Meeting of the AOGS (Asia-Oceania Geosciences Society) Taipei, Taiwan August 8-12, 2011

http://www.asiaoceania.org/aogs2011/public.asp?page=home.htm

This session invites solicited, contributed, and poster presentations addressing (1) conditions on the early Earth that may have been necessary for the origin of life (2) subsequent events and conditions that may have contributed to the evolution of organisms and the development of Earth's climate (3) biological and geochemical characterization of extreme environments (4) habitability of extraterrestrial atmospheres, surfaces and interiors (5) methods or technological approaches for detecting biosignatures.

Contact: Dr. Louise Prockter (Johns Hopkins University , United States) louise.prockter@jhuapl.edu [Source: Planetary Science Institute]

Posted by Keith Cowing at 10:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

From the Swiss Society for Astrophysics and Astronomy 41st Saas-Fee Advanced Course "From Planets to Life" 3-9 April 2011, Villars-sur-Ollon, Switzerland

This astrobiology course consists of 28 lectures organized in three parts as follow:

- Astrophysical conditions for development of life Prof. Jonathan Lunine (University of Arizona)
- Earth geology and climatology history Prof. James Kasting (Pennsylvania State University)
- Origin and critical steps of life development on Earth

Prof. John Baross (University of Washington) In addition to the formal course, the setting of this event provides ample time for informal discussions during the meals and other social events. are approaching our maximum hosting capacity, however, we can still accommodate for about a dozen additional participants. The regular registration deadline is JANUARY 28th, 2011. After this date the registration fee will raise from CHF450.- to CHF500.-. For more information please visit: http://www.isdc.unige.ch/sf2011/

We look forward to seeing you soon, Pierre Dubath, for the organizing committee

[Source: Planetary Science Institute]

Posted by Keith Cowing at 10:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

An affiliation between the University of Southern California and the SETI Institute will create formal ties between one of America's premier research universities and one of the most innovative and highly regarded scientific research institutions.

Announced today by USC and the SETI Institute, the affiliation joins a leading private university and a unique research institute pursuing the study of the living universe. This affiliation significantly heightens USC's profile in astronomy and astrobiology and establishes a strong research and education presence in Silicon Valley for the university. The affiliation is effective immediately.

Continue reading "USC and SETI Institute Team Up" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 10:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Abstract Submission Deadline: February 28, 2011
Participant Notification: April 4th, 2011

AbGradCon 2011 will be held at the Montana State University campus (Bozeman, MT) on June 4th-8th. Montana State University provides a unique setting for astrobiology graduate students and early career researchers to come together to share their research, collaborate, and network. Since it is organized and attended by only graduate students and post docs, AbGradCon is an ideal venue for the next generation of career astrobiologists to form bonds, share ideas, and discuss the issues that will shape the future of the field. Full funding is available for US applicants. Limited funding may be available for international students. For more information, please see http://abgradcon2011.org/ Please send questions and concerns to abgradcon2011@gmail.com

Posted by Keith Cowing at 7:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

James L. Green
Director, Planetary Science Division
NASA Headquarters

In this calendar year the Planetary Science Division (PSD) will be launching the Juno, GRAIL, and MSL missions. These missions are our top priority for the Division and are at their funding peaks. MAVEN and LADEE are in development. In addition, we will have a comet encounter in February and two orbit insertions (MESSENGER around Mercury and Dawn around Vesta) that are just some of the exciting events from our 16 operating missions. This is truly a fabulous time for planetary science.

I am sure you are also aware of the current budget situation for NASA. We are under a continuing resolution or CR until March 4th and the new Congress has clearly stated their desire to reduce Federal spending. What you may not realize is how that status affects our daily business as we at Headquarters work hard to execute the planetary program with an uncertain budget. A CR means that NASA is receiving incremental funding at the FY10 level and not at the President's proposed FY11 level. This is a difference of about 10%. In addition, there is much discussion going on that additional reductions may occur for those agencies, like NASA, that are in the "discretionary" category. The President has already taken steps to freeze Civil Servant salaries for the next two years.

In order to maintain our fiscal responsibilities this situation demands that the Planetary Science Division Program Officers not over commit our R&A funds too early in the year. Therefore we will under-select in each of our R&A calls and put many more on notice that they are in the "selectable" range until it is clear what our final budget is and we can meet our obligations. As a reminder, a Principal Investigator who receives a letter that states his or her proposal is in the selectable range could be funded when NASA identifies the funds, which in this case, must wait until a final budget for NASA has been determined. We will also continue to use the technique of "active grants management" that we used last fiscal year for both new and existing awards which will enable PSD to keep the amount of unobligated funding as low as possible as we enter FY12. I will work hard to minimize a reduction in our R&A budget but it is unrealistic to think it will escape untouched based on our current situation and budget climate.

I will be providing a much more detailed status of things at the upcoming meeting of the Planetary Science Subcommittee to be held at NASA Headquarters on January 26 & 27 and at the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference at NASA Night on March 9th. Hope to see you all there to answer any of your questions or concerns.

Posted by Keith Cowing at 8:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Posted by Keith Cowing at 6:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A new online guidebook helps people understand how astrobiology research ties to Yellowstone National Park. The guidebook, entitled "Secrets of the Springs: Astrobiology in Yellowstone National Park," features an outline of astrobiology and its three fundamental questions; a map of astrobiology-related sites in Yellowstone; and an overview of "extreme environments" and their connection to the search for extra-terrestrial life.

The book was created by astrobiology researchers at Montana State University with support from the NASA Astrobiology Institute.

The book can be downloaded in PDF format at http://abrc.montana.edu/outreach/scienceofthesprings.html or viewed online at http://bit.ly/h82DDO

Printed copies of the guidebook are free for teachers to use as a classroom resource. Museums and science centers may also have free print copies. Contact Suzi Taylor with MSU Extended University at taylor@montana.edu

Montana State University's Extended University offers workforce training and professional development, science education and public outreach, educational technologies and distance learning courses, degrees and certificates via Montana State Online.

Posted by Keith Cowing at 5:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

From July 21-August 1, 2010, five K-12 and informal educators joined scientists from the Arizona State University (ASU) and Montana State University (MSU) teams of the NASA Astrobiology Institute for a two week field experience as part of the ASU Astrobiology Virtual Field Trip (VFT) initiative. To address the need for better teacher preparation in STEM education, these teachers worked directly with scientists studying the thermal environments at Yellowstone National Park. They experienced the thrill of doing authentic field research in a breathtaking setting! These educators are an integral part of the VFT project and will provide valuable input on the design of the Web interface, its functionality in a classroom setting and related K-12 curriculum materials. Their collaboration with the ASU Astrobiology team will continue through Spring 2011 as the virtual field trip takes shape. [Source: NAI Newsletter]

Posted by Keith Cowing at 10:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This summer, NAI's team at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) hosted the ExxonMobil Bernard Harris Summer Science Camp in Astrobiology. The camp is a free, academic program of The Harris Foundation, named for Bernard A. Harris, MD, an accomplished NASA astronaut, physician, and entrepreneur, and the first African American to walk in space.

The theme of this year's camp, held from June 12-25th, was The Quest for Life, and 50 middle school students participated. During the two exciting weeks, students went on several field trips to Albany Pine Bush, Howe Caverns, Rocky Hill Dinosaur Park, and the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. Students also took many classes such as the Mars Student Imaging Project, and completed a Field Trip to the Moon. The main activity for the students was to propose a mission to search for life on either Mars, Europa, or Titan. [Source: NAI Newsletter]

Posted by Keith Cowing at 10:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

NASA-Funded Astrobiology Research Discovers Earth Life Built With Arsenic, NASA

"NASA-funded astrobiology research has changed the fundamental knowledge about what comprises all known life on Earth. Researchers conducting tests in the harsh environment of Mono Lake in California have discovered the first known microorganism on Earth able to thrive and reproduce using the toxic chemical arsenic. The microorganism substitutes arsenic for phosphorus in its cell components."

Second Genesis on Earth?, Washington Post

"News of the discovery caused a scientific commotion, including calls to NASA from the White House and Congress asking whether a second line of earthly life has been found."

Posted by Keith Cowing at 8:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Astrobiologists: Deadly arsenic breathes life into organisms, Arizona State University

"Evidence that the toxic element arsenic can replace the essential nutrient phosphorus in biomolecules of a naturally occurring bacterium expands the scope of the search for life beyond Earth, according to Arizona State University scientists who are part of a NASA-funded research team reporting findings in the Dec. 2 online Science Express."

Posted by Keith Cowing at 1:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This past summer, the Penn State Astrobiology Research team offered a 5-day teacher professional development workshop for 20 in-service educators currently teaching grades 6-12. The educators received two Penn State graduate credits and more than 15 different NASA educational materials and resources. They also received and built Galileoscopes to utlilize in their classroom. The workshop focused on topics ranging from optics to spectrometry to current telescopes and their search for extra solar planets. Astrobiology basics were discussed and activities were facilitated from the Life on Earth and Elsewhere Educator Resource Guide. The workshop is co-funded by the NASA Astrobiology Institute (NAI) through the Penn State Astrobiology Research Center (PSARC) and the NASA Pennsylvania Space Grant Consortium. For more information: http://teachscience.psu.edu

Posted by Keith Cowing at 7:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A new show from the California Academy of Sciences, Life: A Cosmic Story opens on November 6th and will play through late 2011 in the Morrison Planetarium, the largest all-digital planetarium in the world. With input from NAI and SETI Institute scientists, Life uses the latest scientific knowledge to examine an age-old question: how did life on Earth begin? Starting with the first stars and ending with the tremendous biological diversity on Earth today, Life will show you that the human pedigree is actually 13.7 billion years in the making. Watch the trailer here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4LpmWe1YA4

Narrated by two-time Academy Award winner Jodie Foster, Life begins in a grove of towering redwoods, majestic emblems of Northern California. From there, the audience "shrinks" dramatically as it enters a single redwood leaf and then a redwood cell, learning that despite their unique appearance, redwoods are composed of the same basic molecules as all other organisms on Earth. After this opening statement of shared ancestry, the audience launches on a journey through time, witnessing key events since the Big Bang that set the stage for life. The first stars ignite, galaxies coalesce, and entire worlds take shape.

On the early Earth, two scenarios for the dawn of life are presented - one near a turbulent, deep-sea hydrothermal vent, and the other in a primordial "hot puddle" on a volcanic island. From these microscopic beginnings, life transformed the entire Earth as it evolved and diversified: filling the atmosphere with oxygen, turning the continents green, and altering global climate patterns. The 25-minute show ends with a review of geological evidence and the connectedness of all living things on Earth. [Source: NAI Newsletter]

Posted by Keith Cowing at 7:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Keith's note: Multiple, reliable sources within the Astrobiology community tell me that NASA's Astrobiology announcement tomorrow concerns Arsenic-based biochemistry and the implications for the origin of life on Earth, how it may have happened more than once on our planet, and the implications for life arising elsewhere in the universe. NASA has not found life on any other world.

That said, as a biologist, I have to say that this is exciting stuff. It shows that other biochemistries are possible - more than just "life as we know it" and that the possible places where "life" could exist in the universe are now much more numerous as a result. What other biochemistries are possible? I am certain we'll be hearing much more about this.

Posted by Keith Cowing at 11:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Keith's 30 Nov note: As has happened before, NASA puts out advance notice of a provocative major discovery, media advisory and speculation goes into overdrive with titles of articles such as "Has NASA found life near Saturn?" based on a single, speculative blogger post.

Calm down folks. According to Alexis Madrial, a senior editor at The Atantic (and used to write for Wired) posting on Twitter "I'm sad to quell some of the @kottke-induced excitement about possible extraterrestrial life. I've seen the Science paper. It's not that." followed by "I'm obviously not the only one. It's available to journalists with access to embargoed EurekAlert content."

An article by several of the individuals (Benner, Wolfe-Simon) who will be participating in the telecon can be found below. Is NASA's announcement related to NASA's announcement? Who knows.

Signatures of a Shadow Biosphere, Astrobiology, Volume 9, Number 2, 2009 via The Smithsonian/NASA Astrophysics Data System (A copy of the full article can be found here.) Authors: Paul C.W. Davies, Steven A. Benner, Carol E. Cleland, Charles H. Lineweaver, Christopher P. McKay, and Felisa Wolfe-Simon

"Astrobiologists are aware that extraterrestrial life might differ from known life, and considerable thought has been given to possible signatures associated with weird forms of life on other planets. So far, however, very little attention has been paid to the possibility that our own planet might also host communities of weird life. If life arises readily in Earth-like conditions, as many astrobiologists contend, then it may well have formed many times on Earth itself, which raises the question whether one or more shadow biospheres have existed in the past or still exist today. In this paper, we discuss possible signatures of weird life and outline some simple strategies for seeking evidence of a shadow biosphere."

Then there is this article by another one of the authors (Wolfe-Simon) dealing with putative life forms that use Arsenic instead of Phosphorus in their biochemistry. Again, the concept of a "shadow biosphere" and thoughts as to whether this can be applied to extraterrestrial locations are discussed.

Did nature also choose arsenic?, International Journal of Astrobiology, Volume 8, Issue 2 via via The Smithsonian/NASA Astrophysics Data System

"All known life requires phosphorus (P) in the form of inorganic phosphate (PO₄^3- or Pi) and phosphate-containing organic molecules. P_iserves as the backbone of the nucleic acids that constitute genetic material and as the major repository of chemical energy for metabolism in polyphosphate bonds. Arsenic (As) lies directly below P on the periodic table and so the two elements share many chemical properties, although their chemistries are sufficiently dissimilar that As cannot directly replace P in modern biochemistry. Arsenic is toxic because As and P are similar enough that organisms attempt this substitution. We hypothesize that ancient biochemical systems, analogous to but distinct from those known today, could have utilized arsenate in the equivalent biological role as phosphate. Organisms utilizing such 'weird life' biochemical pathways may have supported a 'shadow biosphere' at the time of the origin and early evolution of life on Earth or on other planets. Such organisms may even persist on Earth today, undetected, in unusual niches."

Are these articles related to NASA's announcement? Reliable sources within the Astrobiology community tell me that the announcement does indeed concern Arsenic-based biochemistry and the implications for the origin of life on Earth, how it may have happened more than once on our planet, and the implications for life arising elsewhere in the universe.

Close Encounters of the Media Kind, Columbia Journalism Review

"Posts at MSNBC.com's Cosmic Log blog, Discover's Bad Astronomy blog, and at the independent NASA Watch blog also tried to quell the otherworldly hysteria. (Further efforts have since appeared at the Associated Press and Time.) ... "This shows how important an experienced, trained and authoritative science journalism staff of reporters and editors is," AP science reporter Seth Borenstein wrote in an e-mail, responding to questions about the blog frenzy. "While the blogosphere has the luxury of speculating, The Associated Press seeks to be the definitive source through careful reporting and knowledge of the subject area."

Posted by Keith Cowing at 11:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

NAI collaborative tools were used to link people from around the globe

Using a suite of NAI collaborative tools, an NAI Workshop Without Walls on "Molecular Paleontology and Resurrection: Rewinding the Tape of Life" was held on November 8-10, 2010. Organized by scientists from the NAI teams at Georgia Institute of Technology and Montana State University, the workshop drew over 550 registrants from 31 US states and 30 other countries. Twenty-nine talks were presented using 21 different video conferencing rooms, Adobe Connect and phone. The presentations were recorded and are available online.

For more information: http://astrobiology.nasa.gov/articles/nai-hosts-second-workshop-without-walls [Source: NAI Newsletter]

Posted by Keith Cowing at 10:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

5 December 2010
Rehovot, Israel

The Israel Society for Astrobiology and the Study of the Origin of Life (ILASOL) holds an annual meeting that will take place, this year, during the Hannuka holiday at the Botnar Auditorium in the Weizmann Institute of Science. For information and abstract submission, please contact ilasolw@weizmann.ac.il. [Source: NAI]

Posted by Keith Cowing at 11:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Australian Centre for Astrobiology and the Natural Products Research Laboratory in the School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Science at the University of New South Wales are offering several PhD scholarships for both Australian and overseas PhD students.

To qualify you must have honours or Masters degrees or previous research experience in microbiology, biochemistry, genetics, molecular biology or bioinformatics to work on research projects funded by the Australian Research Council, the University of New Wales, as well as a variety of industry partners. Particular research interests and strength are in the fields of environmental microbiology and genomics, biotechnology, molecular evolution, functional genomics, drug discovery and development, astrobiology, and extremophiles.

Scholarships include a stipend of up to AUD $30,000 per annum tax-free, international travel support (AUD $5,000), office and/or laboratory expenses. Non-Australian or New Zealand applicants may also be eligible for tuition waivers (valued at AUD $22,000 per annum). Qualified applicants may be invited and funded to visit the facilities. For more information: http://www.aca.absociety.org/aca/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=48&Itemid=54 [Source: NAI]

Posted by Keith Cowing at 10:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Dates: 5-8 June 2011

Location: Montana State University, Bozeman Montana

Eligibility: Graduate students, post-doctoral students, early-career astrobiologists (2-5 years past PhD).

The 2011 Astrobiology Graduate Student Conference (AbGradCon) will be held at Montana State University, from 5-8 June, 2011. The schedule will include two full days of talks and poster sessions, one day of public outreach and educational activities, and a full-day field trip to Yellowstone National Park. The conference application will be available online in January 2011.

For more information: http://abgradcon2011.org [Source: NAI]

Posted by Keith Cowing at 10:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Planetary exploration is shifting into high gear with an unprecedented tripling of flybys, orbital insertions, and launches to destinations around the Solar System. To commemorate the increase, NASA has declared the year ahead The Year of the Solar System. For more information: http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2010/07oct_yss/ [Source: NAI]

Posted by Keith Cowing at 9:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

- A Symposium Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of NASA's Exobiology Program

On October 14th a symposium was held celebrating the 50th anniversary of NASA's Exobiology program. Recordings of the keynote addresses and panel discussions are now available online at http://www.livestream.com/astrobiology50th/ For more information about the symposium: http://astrobiology.nasa.gov/articles/seeking-signs-of-life-a-symposium-celebrating-the-50th-anniversary-of-nasa-s-exobiology-program/ . [Source: NAI]

Posted by Keith Cowing at 9:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Nordic Network of Astrobiology encompasses universities that offer several different courses of relevance to Astrobiology. For information on universities and courses visit http://www.nordicastrobiology.net/Courses.html [Source: NAI]

Posted by Keith Cowing at 12:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Australian Centre for Astrobiology and the Natural Products Research Laboratory in the School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Science at UNSW are offering several PhD scholarships for both Australian and overseas PhD students.

To qualify you must have honours or Masters degrees or previous research experience in microbiology, biochemistry, genetics, molecular biology or bioinformatics to work on research projects funded by the Australian Research Council, the University of New Wales, as well as a variety of industry partners.

Particular research interests and strength are in the fields of environmental microbiology and genomics, biotechnology, molecular evolution, functional genomics, drug discovery and development, astrobiology, and extremophiles.

Scholarships include a stipend of up to AUD $30,000 per annum tax-free, international travel support (AUD $5,000), office and/or laboratory expenses. Non-Australian or New Zealand applicants may also be eligible for tuition waivers (valued at AUD $22,000 per annum). Qualified applicants may be invited and funded to visit the facilities. For more information visit http://www.aca.absociety.org/aca/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=48&Itemid=54 [Source: NAI]

Posted by Keith Cowing at 11:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Dates: 5-8 June 2011

Location: Montana State University, Bozeman Montana

Eligibility: graduate students, post-doctoral students, early-career astrobiologists (2-5 years past PhD).

Limit: 50

The 2011 Astrobiology Graduate Student Conference (AbGradCon) will be held at Montana State University, from 5-8 June, 2011. The schedule will include two full days of talks and poster sessions, one day of public outreach and educational activities, and a full-day field trip to Yellowstone National Park. The conference application will be available online in January 2011. For more information, please visit our website: http://abgradcon2011.org, or email abgradcon2011@gmail.com.

[Source: NAI]

Posted by Keith Cowing at 11:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Canadian Astrobiology Training Program (CATP) is the first Canadian cross-disciplinary, multi-institutional undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral training program in Astrobiology and is an NSERC-funded Collaborative Research and Training Experience Program (CREATE) (2009-2015) located at McGill University, McMaster University, University of Western Ontario, University of Toronto, and the University of Winnipeg. The CATP program objectives are being accomplished through collaborative and integrative research approaches containing elements of geology, chemistry, physics, astronomy, microbiology, and robotics.

CATP trainees (~70 graduate & undergraduate students, PDFs over 6 years) will be exposed to innovative research and training approaches, combining fieldwork at unique Canadian analogue sites, including those in the high Arctic, with laboratory work at cutting edge analytical facilities at participating university, government, and industry partners. Shared expertise within and among institutions will be provided by means of course and seminar videoconferencing, and interdisciplinary supervision. Professional training will be enhanced by training rotations with our collaborators at CSA, MDA Space Missions, and our international partners, including NASA Ames.

CATP Highly Qualified People (HQP) trained in various aspects of astrobiology will be at the forefront of the search for life beyond the Earth. Indeed, CATP will address the recognized lack of HQP in space science and lead to new scientific opportunities and promote Canadian participation in future missions to Mars with the ultimate goal of having Canadian scientists actively participating on such missions within 2-5 years as well as a future Mars sample return mission; both are direct initiatives of the 2008 CSA Exploration Roadmap. The skills acquired through this program will be directly transferable to various other disciplines, such as Earth and environmental sciences, robotics, medicine, and astronomy.

CATP research activities will be structured around 4 major themes that are explicitly linked to the domains of expertise of the CATP co-applicants: Extremophiles, Biosignatures, Astrobiology Instrument and Technology Development, and Planetary Analogues. The 4 themes unite to serve a common purpose: the unambiguous detection of life, extant or extinct, in areas where the existence of life cannot be presupposed. For more information regarding the CATP initiatives, please follow this web link: http://create-astrobiology.mcgill.ca/index.html Here you will find details regarding our current students and their research, our highly successful seminar series, and the training opportunities available and how to apply during the next recruitment period scheduled to start in November 2010. Please note that the deadline for all applications is 14 January 2011. [Source: NAI]

Posted by Keith Cowing at 11:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Presented by the NASA Astrobiology Program in celebration of NASA's Year of the Solar System, From Earth to the Solar System (FETTSS) will be an online collection of images that can be freely downloaded and exhibited by organizations worldwide in whatever manner they choose. The images will showcase discoveries in planetary exploration, with a focus on the origin and evolution of the Solar System and the search for life.

We are currently seeking images for the exhibit, whether it be your favorite image taken by a spacecraft, or a picture you took yourself as part of your research. We are looking for artistic and informative images of astrobiological or planetary science significance that tell a story and showcase views of the planets, moons, and other bodies in our Solar System, as well as pictures of field sites here on Earth. Our goal is for this image collection to represent the current state of exploration as seen through the eyes of the scientific community.
See http://fettss.arc.nasa.gov for instructions on how to submit an image.

See http://nai.arc.nasa.gov/library/uploads/FromEarthToTheSolarSystem-ImageSubmission.pdf for a poster about FETTSS. Please contact fettss@lists.nasa.gov for additional information [Source: NAI]

Posted by Keith Cowing at 11:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Astrobiology Society of Britain (ASB) held its 4th biennial conference in April 2010. The meeting was held at Royal Holloway College (London University) and was attended by over 60 people. The International Journal of Astrobiology has devoted an issue to 11 selected original (refereed) papers presented at the meeting. Conference proceedings are listed in the International Journal of Astrobiology, Vol. 9 issue 4, pp 191-291, (2010). Selected proceedings of our earlier meetings are also available in the International Journal of Astrobiology, Vol. 8, issue 1, pp 1-61 (2009); Vol 5., issue 3, pp 181-275 (2006); and Vol. 3, issue 2, pp 71-181 (2004). For further information, see: http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayIssue?jid=IJA&tab=currentissue. [Source: NAI]

Posted by Keith Cowing at 11:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Date/Time: Monday, October 25 2010 11:00AM Pacific
Speaker: Ken Stedman (Portland State University)
Title: "Quo vadis Astrovirology?"

Abstract: What is "Astrovirology" and where is it going? In the last few years there has been a quiet revolution in the study of viruses on our planet and in our ecosystem. The presence of vast numbers and astounding diversity of viruses in all known environments has been confirmed. Moreover, the discovery of new "giant" viruses has blurred the accepted definition of viruses. Currently, the role of viruses in terrestrial global cycles and their role in the origins and evolution of life as we know it are under intense investigation. We consider these studies to be "Astrovirology". Other central questions in "Astrovirology" include: "What is a virus?", "How old are viruses and how can they be detected?", and "What is (or are) the origin(s) of viruses?". This presentation will address these questions and discuss recent results from our research on virus preservation and a discovery-based study of viruses in an extreme environment, Boiling Springs Lake, in Lassen Volcanic National Park.

For more information and participation instructions: http://astrobiology.nasa.gov/nai/seminars/detail/181 [Source: NAI]

Posted by Keith Cowing at 10:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Date: Thursday, October 14, 2010

Time: 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

Location: Lockheed Martin Global Vision Center 2121 Crystal Drive Arlington, VA 22202

NASA's Astrobiology Program addresses three fundamental questions: How does life begin and evolve? Is there life beyond Earth, and if so, how can we detect it? What is the future of life on Earth and in the universe?

Experts in a range of relevant disciplines will engage in an exciting day of discussions . . . . Are we alone? Confirmed speakers include Baruch S. Blumberg, The Honorable Daniel S. Goldin, David Grinspoon, Noel Hinners, James Lovelock, Lynn Margulis, and Steve Squyres.

Event is free, but kindly RSVP by October 7, 2010, to exosymposium@gmail.com Non-U.S. citizens will need to provide nationality, passport number, and passport expiration date. Seating is extremely limited. Business attire is requested.

Posted by Keith Cowing at 10:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

NASA Request For Information: The Past, Present, and Future of Life on Earth: Scientific Connections between NASA's Earth Science Division and Astrobiology Program

Solicitation Number: NNH10ZDA010L
Release Date: July 30, 2010
Response Date: October 29, 2010
Classification Code: A -- Research and Development

The NASA Science Mission Directorate (SMD) is soliciting information on connections and synergies between the research goals of the NASA Astrobiology Program and those of the NASA Earth Science Division. The Earth Science Division supports research activities that address the fundamental questions: How is the Earth changing and what are the consequences for life on Earth? It does so by supporting research into: the variability of the Earth system, the forcings of this variability, the response of the Earth system to change, the consequences of changes in the Earth system, and how we might improve our ability to predict future changes. NASA's Astrobiology Program is dedicated to addressing three fundamental questions: "How does life begin and evolve?" "Does life exist elsewhere in the universe?" "What is the future of life on Earth and beyond?" The two programs thus share a focus on life in the Earth system, including the conditions on Earth that allow an abundance and diversity of life to flourish, interactions between the biosphere and its planetary environment, and the future of life on Earth. This request seeks the broadest level of community input on areas in which research addressing the goals of one program has potential impact on achieving the goals of the other.

Responses to this Request for Information (RFI) will be used by NASA program managers in both the Earth Science Division and Astrobiology Program to consider possible joint research topics, scoping workshops or other joint program activities. However, the issuance of this RFI does not imply a new NASA commitment of funding by either program.

For more information: http://bit.ly/dzRxTQ

Posted by Keith Cowing at 10:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Posted by Keith Cowing at 6:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A NASA Astrobiology Institute-funded study led by Chris Dupont of the J. Craig Venter Institute indicates that environmental availability of trace elements over Earth's history influenced the selection of elements used by life as biological evolution progressed. Their results show that environmental concentrations of trace metals influenced which types of metal-binding proteins evolved, and the relative timing of their evolution.

The study implies that the geochemistry of the Archean ocean (>2.5 billion years ago) influenced both the evolution of metal-binding protein architectures and the selection of elements by the ancestors of modern Archaea and Bacteria (simple single cell organisms). Specifically, low Zn, Mo, and Cu concentrations in the Archean ocean likely prevented the widespread emergence and diversification of Eukaryotic life (including plants, animals, and fungi) until the oceans became oxic, relatively late in Earth's history. The study also revealed that although modern Archaea and Bacteria still predominantly use ancient metal-binding protein structures, most Eukaryotes use both early- and late- evolving structures. The paper appears in the May 24 Early Edition of PNAS.

Source: NAI Newsletter

Posted by Keith Cowing at 2:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Please join us in congratulating former NAI Director Bruce Runnegar of UCLA for receiving the 2009 Lapworth Medal from the Paleontological Association!

Bruce Runnegar has been one of the most innovative researchers of his generation, and a testament to the visionary nature of his research and its endurance. Of course, taxonomic works in palaeontology have a long 'half-life', but review papers tend to burn brightly and quickly. Runnegar has published his fair share of taxonomic studies, elucidating the early evolutionary history of molluscs. However, he also has an enviable back-catalogue of reviews and opinion pieces that were not merely of the moment, but remain as relevant and inspirational today as when they were published, many of them decades ago, and they continue to accrue citations as a result.

Runnegar's 1982 Geol Soc Australia article codified the conundrum of the Cambrian Explosion - whether it should it be interpreted as an explosion of animal diversity, or merely of fossils. He made the first serious attempts to tackle this problem, by employing the molecular clock, long before it became fashionable among molecular biologists (for whom it is now an industry), in trying to obtain an independent timescale for animal evolution. He is believed to be the first person to codify the concept of disparity used by Gould as the centrepiece of his thesis in Wonderful Life. Furthermore, Runnegar had reconciled the 'weird wonders' of Wonderful Life as stem members of extant animal phyla soon after its publication, but it took almost a decade for the debate to catch up.

Runnegar's vision was ultimately distilled in the written account of his 1985 address to the Palaeontological Association in which he argued that palaeontology is a discipline concerned with fundamental questions, that the most appropriate dataset to answer these questions is not always to be found in lumps of rock, and that all relevant data and methods should be brought to bear in attempts to resolve these questions. This perspective is held generally among palaeontologists, and he has a flourishing following of disciples, but no one has fulfilled the promise of this integrative vision as has Runnegar, evidenced, not least, by his appointments as Director of the UCLA Astrobiology Center, and of the NASA Astrobiology Institute.

For more information: http://www.palass.org/modules.php?name=palaeo&sec=awards&page=120

Source: NAI Newsletter

Posted by Keith Cowing at 9:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The NAI is pleased to announce the 2010 Selections for the Lewis and Clark Fund for Exploration and Field Research in Astrobiology.

1. Knicole Colon, U Florida, travel to Spain for her project, "From Hot-Jupiters to Super Earths: Characterizing Transiting Extrasolar Planets with GTC/OSIRIS".

2. Andrew Czaja, U Wisconsin, travel to Australia for a "Field Trip to Explore Archean and Proterozoic Geology of Western Australia".

3. Jason Huberty, U Wisconsin, travel to Australia, for the "Fifth International Archean Synposium Field Trip to the Pilbara Craton, including the Fortescue and Hamersley Basins".

4. Michele Knowlton, Arizona State U, travel to Yellowstone National Park to examine nitrogen fixation occurring within microbial mats.

5. Nancy McKeown, U California, Santa Cruz, travel to Arizona, for a "Spectral Study Of the Painted Desert, AZ, to "Characterize Clay Alterations Environments and Provide Implications for Astrobiology at Mawrth Valis, Mars, a Likely Mars Science Laboratory Landing Site".

6. Elizabeth Percak-Dennet, U Wisconsin, travel to Australia, "Linking Laboratory and Field Studies of the Mineralogical and Iron Isotope Composition of Banded Iron Formations in Western Australia".

7. Matthew Urschel, Montana State U, travel to Alberta, Canada to examine "Iron Reduction in the Subglacial Sediments of Robertson Glacier, Canada".

For more information: http://astrobiology.nasa.gov/nai/funding/lewis-and-clark

Source: NAI Newsletter

Posted by Keith Cowing at 9:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Please join us in congratulating NAI PI David Des Marais for his recent election as Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology!

Dave's early interest in exploring caves in southern Indiana on weekends while an undergraduate student at Purdue University led him to post-graduate studies in Geology at Indiana University, where he also earned a Ph.D. in Geochemistry and became fascinated with microbiology. Today, he is a PI in the NASA Astrobiology Institute (NAI) at NASA Ames, and also serves on NASA's Mars Exploration Rover mission as a long-term planning lead for the Spirit rover.

This month, Des Marais was inducted as a Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology for his 35 years of research. Fellows are selected through a rigorous peer review process based on scientific achievements and original contributions that have advanced the field of microbiology.

"I gained most of my microbiology experience while doing postdoctoral research at UCLA and through interdisciplinary collaborations throughout my career," said Des Marais.

For the past 26 years he has coordinated an interdisciplinary team to study cyanobacterial mat (biofilm) communities in Baja California to get a glimpse of what ancient biological communities resembled. He also has conducted field research on ancient fossilized microbial communities in Australia, Canada, South Africa and the U.S. His lifelong research interests include the biogeochemical carbon cycle, the early evolution of Earth and its biosphere and searching for fossil evidence of life on Mars.

His explorations of the Red Planet also include contributions to the Mars Exploration Rover, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and the Mars Science Laboratory missions. This summer he will begin his tenure as Chair of the Mars Exploration Program Analysis Group (MEPAG), a public forum that obtains guidance from the science community for NASA's Mars Program regarding future exploration.

Des Marais has authored or co-authored more than 160 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters and serves on the editorial boards for the journals Astrobiology and Geobiology.

For more information: http://academy.asm.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=56&Itemid=75

Source: NAI Newsletter

Posted by Keith Cowing at 9:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Workshop Dates: October 11-13, 2010

NAI, together with the Agouron Institute and the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, are again sponsoring a field workshop of the Early Earth Focus Group following upon the very successful BAR (Biosignatures in Ancient Rocks) workshop of 2007. The topic of this workshop is Anoxygenic Phototrophic Ecosystems (APE): Ancient and Modern. This workshop will bring together approximately 40 microbial ecologists, astro- and geobiologists; including ~10 senior scientists who have made significant contributions to our understanding of modern and ancient anaerobic ecosystems and of the chemistry of ancient oceans, ~15 early career researchers (assistant professors and postdocs) who have been actively conducting forefront research, and ~15 future leaders (current graduate students) in this field. The workshop is scheduled for Oct. 11-13 in Fayetteville, New York, at the scenic and biogeochemically stratified Green Lake. Travel awards are available. Please contact Linda Altamura (Penn State Astrobiology Research Center: lxg2@psu.edu) for further information.

For more information about the Early Earth Focus Group, visit: http://astrobiology.nasa.gov/nai/focus-groups/current/early-earth/intro/ [Source: NAI Newsletter]

Posted by Keith Cowing at 9:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

David Morrison has joined the SETI Institute staff as the Director of the Carl Sagan Center for the Study of Life in the Universe. Appropriately, Carl Sagan's first doctoral student, Dr. Morrison is now in a unique position to revisit his original roots and succeed legendary SETI pioneer and mentor Frank Drake, who is retiring and now joins the SETI Institute Board of Directors.

Dr. Morrison is a leading space scientist and science manager. In addition to his new job at the SETI Institute, he retains (part time) his previous position at NASA Ames Research Center, where he is Director of the NASA Lunar Science Institute and Senior Scientist for Astrobiology. Previously, Morrison served as Director of Space at NASA Ames, and before that as Professor and Vice-Chancellor for Research at the University of Hawaii. Dr. Morrison is internationally known for his research on small bodies in the solar system, and he has published more than 155 technical papers and a dozen books, including five university-level textbooks. [Source: NAI Newsletter]

Posted by Keith Cowing at 5:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Astrobiology Science and Technology for Exploring Planets (ASTEP) program solicits proposals for investigations focused on exploring the Earth's extreme environments in order to develop a sound technical and scientific basis to conduct astrobiological research on other solar system bodies.

This amendment delays the proposal due date for Appendix C.20, Astrobiology Science and Technology for Exploring Planets (ASTEP) Program. Programmatic schedule conflicts at NASA Headquarters have postponed the ASTEP peer review and hence the date when SMD must have proposals. A corresponding deferral of the ASTEP due date will provide the community additional time to prepare proposals. The proposal due date for ASTEP has been changed to Friday, July 16, 2010. Table 2 and Table 3 of the Summary of Solicitation for this NRA have been updated to reflect this change.

This amendment to the NASA Research Announcement "Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Sciences (ROSES) 2010" (NNH10ZDA001N) is posted on the NASA research opportunity homepage at http://nspires.nasaprs.com/ (select "Solicitations" then "Open Solicitations" then "NNH10ZDA001N"). You can now track amendments, clarifications and corrections to ROSES and subscribe to an RSS feed at: http://nasascience.nasa.gov/researchers/sara/grant-solicitations/roses-2010

Questions concerning ASTEP may be addressed to Mary Voytek, Planetary Science Division, Science Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters, Washington, DC 20546-0001; Telephone: (202) 358-1577; Email: mary.voytek-1@nasa.gov

[Source: NAI Newsletter]

Posted by Keith Cowing at 5:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Dear colleagues, We are leading a group of early-career astrobiologists to update the first edition of the Astrobiology primer (Mix et al., Astrobiology, 2006). The astrobiology primer was created to provide a brief, but comprehensive, overview of the subject for those new to the field. It is aimed at graduate students, but we hope others will also find it useful. We would welcome your views on the proposed content. Please complete the survey linked to below. We are accepting completed survey through Tuesday, May 18th. The survey can be found at: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/NNVGSWH An outline of the primer can be downloaded here.

Thank you in advance for your time and your voice. Sincerely, Shawn Domagal-Goldman and Katherine Wright, Co-Lead Editors, Astrobiology Primer, Version 2.0

[Source: NAI Newsletter]

Posted by Keith Cowing at 5:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The Life in the Universe curriculum is a unique set of resources, for elementary and middle school teachers, designed to bring the excitement of searching for life beyond Earth into the classroom. The SETI Institute, with funding from NSF and NASA, developed these award winning classroom materials with a team of educators, curriculum developers, and scientists. The Life in the Universe curriculum explores many facets of how scientists are trying to answer the questions: Where did life come from? What is its future? Are we alone?

In the Life in the Universe curriculum, students explore conditions that support life on Earth, and the possible existence of life elsewhere. The curriculum draws upon the experience of SETI scientists, whose research encompasses the full spectrum of Astrobiology: astronomy, life sciences, Earth sciences, chemistry, physics, mathematics, engineering, and many other disciplines. The hands-on science activities were tested nationally in a variety of schools representing a broad range of students. Organized around story lines, these activities pose challenges that require students to investigate what is known about life on Earth.

For more information: http://www.seti.org/Page.aspx?pid=363

[Source: NAI Newsletter]

Posted by Keith Cowing at 5:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Jonathan Lunine, a member of NAI’s JPL-Titan team and professor in the University of Arizona’s Department of Planetary Sciences has been elected a member of the National Academy of Sciences, one of the highest honors a U.S. scientist or engineer can achieve. Congratulations, Jonathan!

For more information: http://uanews.org/node/31633

[Source: NAI Newsletter]

Posted by Keith Cowing at 8:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Date/Time: Monday, June 7, 2010 11:00AM Pacific
Speaker: Katrina Edwards (University of Southern California)
Title: "Intraterrestrial Life on Earth"

In 1986, scientists sailing in the Pacific Ocean made an astonishing discovery. In sediments collected from 850m below the seafloor, they identified that microbes were living and thriving in an environment not previously known to contain life. This discovery has spawned a new field of research on the "deep biosphere" with researchers exploring how life persists and evolves at hostile temperatures and pressures. With estimates that the sub-seafloor may contain as much two-thirds of the Earth's microbial population, research today focuses on understanding the importance, or lack thereof, of this community to the Earth's systems. This presentation will focus on the current state of knowledge with respect to the deep biosphere and the major questions being addressed in this field, such as what are the nature and extent of life on Earth? What are the physico-chemical limits of life on Earth? How metabolically active is the deep biosphere, and what are the most important redox processes? What are the dispersal mechanisms for life in the deep biosphere? How does life evolve in deeply buried geological deposits that can occur more than a km beneath the ocean floor? What is the influence of the deep biosphere on global-scale biogeochemical processes?

For more information and participation instructions: http://astrobiology.nasa.gov/nai/seminars/detail/174

[Source: NAI Newsletter]

Posted by Keith Cowing at 8:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The NAI once again hosted the Student Poster Competition at the Astrobiology Science Conference (AbSciCon) 2010, held in League City Texas on April 26-29, 2010. Louis Lerman and Steve Benner from the Foundation for Applied Molecular Evolution (FfAME) provided a generous contribution in support of the competition, as they did for AbSciCon 2008.

Thirty posters were submitted to the competition, and four cash prizes were awarded.

The first place prize went to Jorge Nunez, a graduate student at Arizona State University, for his poster entitled The Multispectral Microscopic Imager (MMI) and the Mars Microbeam Raman Spectrometer (MMRS): An Integrated Payload for the In-Situ Exploration of Past and Present Habitable Environments on Mars. Jorge’s co-authors were J. D. Farmer (advisor), R. G. Sellar, S. Douglas, K. S. Manatt, M. D. Fries, A. L. Lane, Alian Wang, and D. L. Blaney.

Second place in the competition was awarded to Jennifer Glass, a graduate student at Arizona State University for her poster Signatures of Low-Mo Ancient Ocean May be Preserved in Cyanobacterial Genomes. Jennifer’s co-authors were Felisa L. Wolfe-Simon, A. T. Poret-Peterson and A. D. Anbar (advisor).

The third place winner was Eva Stueeken, a graduate student at the University of Washington, for her poster Selenium Biogeochemistry as a Planetary Deep-Time Redox Proxy. Eva’s co-authors were Julien Foriel, B. K.Nelson, and Roger Buick (advisor).

Fourth place in the competition was awarded to undergraduate student Dyana Lucas of the Native American Research Laboratory (NARL) at The University of Montana, for her poster Evidence for Local Adaptation in Extremophilic Crenarchaeal Systems: A SSV-Sulfolobus Study. Dyana’s co-authors were Manny Ceballos, and Michael Ceballos (advisor).

Congratulations to these four outstanding students for their achievement! [Source: NAI Newsletter]

Posted by Keith Cowing at 7:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Real Science of Avatar - How James Cameron drew inspiration for the flora and fauna on Pandora from life forms on Earth

"The message of James Cameron's Avatar, which comes out on DVD and Blu-ray April 22 in conjunction with Earth Day, is unapologetically green. "All life on Earth is connected," the director told me, when I interviewed him for my book, The Futurist: The Life and Films of James Cameron. "We have taken from nature without giving back, and the time to pay the piper is coming."

But Cameron took from nature, too. If the lush, alien jungles of Avatar feel eerily familiar, that's because the director rooted them close to home. His muse for Avatar's fictional moon, Pandora, and its wildly fantastical creatures, plants and landscapes was the planet Earth. In May of 2005, before the film was greenlit by 20th Century Fox, a four-man team of designers began secretly creating Pandora in Cameron's home in Malibu, Calif. The director gave them National Geographic photos, botany books and nature documentaries for reference. Says Neville Page, a concept artist and creature designer behind much of Pandora's spectacle: "The best we could do was try to capture what nature has done so perfectly and expand on it."

Posted by Keith Cowing at 3:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Scholarship application deadlines plus new information for Canadian students and a worldwide opportunity provided by the Harvard Origin of Life Initiative

Topic: Extrasolar Planets and Habitability
Location: Palacio de Magdalena, Santander, Spain
Dates: June 21-25, 2010

The ninth annual Summer School in Astrobiology, Extrasolar Planets and Habitability, organized jointly by the Spanish Centro de Astrobiología and the NASA Astrobiology Institute will be held at the Santander campus of Spain's national university, Universidad Internacional Menendez Pelayo (UIMP). 

The 2010 School lecturers are Dr. Jack Lissauer, NASA Ames Research Center, co-investigator on the Kepler space telescope mission; Professor Eduardo Martin, CAB and University of Central Florida, co-discoverer of the first brown dwarf; Professor Victoria Meadows, University of Washington, head of NAI's Virtual Planetary Laboratory (VPL); and Professor Michel Mayor, University of Geneva, co-discoverer of the first hot Jupiter, 51 Peg b.

The deadline for NAI applications is March 31. Scholarships covering travel costs, school fees, accommodations, and meals are provided by NAI for students of any nationality studying at U.S. institutions. See astrobiology.nasa.gov/nai/UIMP/2010 for application details. CIFAR, the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research funds scholarships for 3-4 Canadian students. One or two additional scholarships sponsored by the Harvard Origin of Life Initiative are available on a worldwide basis. Applications for CIFAR, and Harvard scholarships should be made via NAI by April 14. See astrobiology.nasa.gov/nai/UIMP/2010 for application details.

European students may apply for scholarship support provided by UIMP and the European Space Agency (ESA) through the UIMP website ( www.uimp.es ) at a later date.

The Summer School includes a week of lectures, round-table discussions, astronomical observations, and a half-day field trip to a site of astrobiological interest. Students completing the school receive a UIMP Diploma in Astrobiology. Accommodations and meals are provided on-site at the Palacio de la Magdalena ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palacio_de_la_Magdalena ).'

Posted by Keith Cowing at 9:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The NASA Astrobiology Institute (NAI) hosted a "Workshop Without Walls" using advanced collaborative technologies on March 11-12, 2010. The workshop, on "The Organic Continuum from the Interstellar Medium to the Early Earth," was organized by George Cody and Doug Whittet, PIs of the NAI's Carnegie Institution of Washington and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute teams, respectively.

The experience was truly global, with over 170 registrants from 21 US States and 16 other countries, including Canada, Mexico, six western European nations, Ukraine, India, South Korea, Japan, Australia, Brazil, Colombia, and Uruguay. A total of 33 scientific talks were presented over two days, with fully interactive Q&A among the participants at eight sites equipped with HD-video/audio, and streaming with real-time question submission through the Adobe Connect web interface.

Continue reading "NASA Astrobiology Institute Hosts Science "Workshop Without Walls"" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 9:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The NAI has organized a session entitled "Integrating Astrobiology Research Across and Beyond the Community" at the upcoming 2010 Astrobiology Science Conference in League City, Texas. The purpose of this session is to stimulate new research collaborations across the astrobiology community and beyond by presenting broad nascent or ongoing collaborations as well as new collaborative opportunities. The session will be held on the last day of AbSciCon, Thursday, April 29, from 2:00 to 4:45pm. This session continues a process of integrating astrobiology research that lies at the heart of the NAI. A new phase of this process began in early 2009 when 10 new teams joined the Institute. The NAI Strategic Science Initiative Workshop - held May 13-15, 2009 in Tempe, AZ (see http://astrobiology.nasa.gov/nai/executive-council/strategic-initiatives-workshop ) was a major milestone focused on developing new and expanded collaborations among NAI teams.

Continue reading "Integrating Astrobiology Research at AbSciCon" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 9:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Date/Time: Monday, March 1, 2010 11:00AM Pacific
Speaker: Tori Hoehler, NASA Ames Research Center
Title: "Energy Flow and Life: A Thermodynamic-Kinetic View of Biology in its Relationship with the Environment"

Abstract: Life's unique and universal relationship with energy flow offers an added constraint in conceptualizing and quantifying habitability and biosignatures, the central concepts in the search for life beyond Earth. The statement, "life requires energy", is widely accepted and often invoked in astrobiology, but is of little practical use given that energy - in one form or another, and at one level or another - is present everywhere in the universe. However, qualification and constraint are introduced by considering the unique attributes of life's dependence and effect on energy flow, at physical, chemical, and biological levels of specificity. Life's relationship with energy has both thermodynamic and kinetic dimensions: how much and how fast are both important, where energy demand, availability, and transduction are concerned. When considered in concert, these two dimensions yield significant resolving power in quantifying life's need for energy (a constraint on habitability) and life's imprint on energy flow (a form of biosignature). They do so at a fundamental point of interface between life and its host environment, and in a fashion that need not be specific to Earth-type life. This approach will be described at a conceptual level, and then applied to the specific example of habitability of serpentinizing systems for methanogenic organisms.

For more information and participation instructions: http://astrobiology.nasa.gov/nai/seminars/detail/168

Source: NAI Newsletter

Posted by Keith Cowing at 7:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Application Deadline: February 1, 2010

Since 2006 the American Philosophical Society and the NASA Astrobiology Institute have partnered to promote the continued exploration of the world around us through a program of research grants in support of astrobiological field studies undertaken by graduate students, postdoctoral students, and junior scientists and scholars affiliated with a U.S.-based institution. We welcome applications by February 1, 2010 for field studies in all areas of research in astrobiology. For more information please see http://www.amphilsoc.org/grants/astrobiology [Source NAI Newsletter]

Posted by Keith Cowing at 1:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Pennsylvania State University will once again host the Astrobiology Summer Program (ASP), supported by the National Science Foundation and the NASA Astrobiology Institute. Undergraduates with an interest in astrobiology and contemplating a career in the sciences are encouraged to apply. We consider applicants from any college or university but you must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident. Participants receive a stipend, travel, and living expenses, and conduct research for ten weeks at Pennsylvania State University under the guidance of astrobiology faculty mentors. Among the many exciting summer activities is a field trip to Washington, D.C, including NASA Headquarters, NASA-Goddard Space Flight Center, the Smithsonian's Air and Space Museum and Udvar-Hazy Center. The application deadline is February 19th, 2010.

For more information, visit http://evo.bio.psu.edu/asp/ or contact Blair Hedges, sbh1@psu.edu. [Source NAI Newsletter]

Posted by Keith Cowing at 1:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Groupement de Recherche en Exobiologie (GdRE), one of the NAI's International Partners, has reorganized as the Societe Francaise d'Exobiologie (SFE).

The main goals of the SFE are to:

* integrate scientific research related to exobiology in France
* create and stimulate interdisciplinary contacts amongst researchers
* promote exobiology and related outreach activities (such as conferences, workshops, exhibitions, and its exobiology web site)

The SFE has an elected committee of 12 members headed by Francois Raulin as president. There are currently 110 registered members from throughout France and associated countries. The future international joint meeting of ISSOL (The International Society for the Study of the Origin of Life) and Bioastronomy will be held in July 2011 in Montpellier under the auspices of the SFE.

For more information about the SFE visit its website at http://www.exobiologie.fr/ . [Source NAI Newsletter]

Posted by Keith Cowing at 1:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The NASA Astrobiology Institute (NAI) is organizing a session at AbSciCon 2010 on "Integrating Astrobiology Research Across and Beyond the Community." The concept for the session reflects one of astrobiology's defining characteristics and a core mission of NAI: bringing together researchers from many disciplines to develop and foster interdisciplinary collaborations in astrobiology research. Participation in this session is invited regardless of affiliation with the NAI. The goal is to develop and foster interdisciplinary collaborations across the astrobiology community, with other science communities not currently engaged in astrobiology research, and with other communities such as philosophy of science, ethics, anthropology, etc.

We invite you to submit an abstract for this session. Abstracts should describe an innovative interdisciplinary collaboration addressing astrobiology research or its societal implications. Presentations on collaborations that are underway, in formation, or contemplated/desired are all welcome. Please note that the abstract deadline is Dec. 3, 2009. For further information about AbSciCon 2010 and abstract submission, please see the following websites:

Meeting date and location: April 26-29, 2010, at the South Shore Harbor Resort and Conference Center in League City, Texas.

Conference website: http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/abscicon2010

Abstract submission information: http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/abscicon2010/abscicon2010.elecinstr.html

ABSTRACT DEADLINE: 5:00 p.m. (CST) Thursday, December 3, 2009

[Source: Carl B. Pilcher, Director NASA Astrobiology Institute]

Posted by Keith Cowing at 12:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Women in Aerospace recently awarded Dr. Linda Billings the Lifetime Achievement Award for more than 25 years of excellence in communicating with the public about the nation's space program. As a journalist, she has covered energy, environment, and labor relations as well as aerospace. As a researcher, she has worked on communication strategy, media analysis, and audience research for NASA's astrobiology, Mars exploration, and planetary protection programs. Her research has focused on the role that journalists play in constructing the cultural authority of scientists, the rhetorical strategies that scientists and journalists employ in communicating about science, and the rhetoric of space exploration.

Currently a research professor at the George Washington University School of Media and Public Affairs in Washington, D.C., she also does communication research for NASA's astrobiology program in the Science Mission Directorate. In addition, she advises NASA's Senior Scientist for Mars Exploration and Planetary Protection Officer on communications. Photographs from the WIA Awards ceremony can be viewed at: http://www.reflectionsorders.com [Source NASA Astrobiology]

Posted by Keith Cowing at 9:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This past week in Rome as part of the International Year of Astronomy, the Pontifical Academy of Sciences hosted a Study Week on Astrobiology, an interdisciplinary event during which "cloistered astrobiologists confronted each other's fields of research" and dialogued about the connections. The participants included many from the extended astrobiology community, including John Baross, David Charbonneau, Roger Summons, Andy Knoll, Chris Impey, Jonathan Lunine, Jill Tarter, Sara Seager, and Giovanna Tinetti.

Continue reading "Vatican Hosts Study Week on Astrobiology" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 9:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Daniel Glavin has been selected by the international Meteoritical Society as the recipient of the 2010 Nier Prize. The prestigious Nier Prize is awarded to young scientists performing valuable research in fields related to meteoritics and planetary science.

Dr. Glavin was presented with the prize for his work on extraterrestrial organic chemistry. By examining carbonaceous meteorites, Glavin and his team have made important contributions toward understanding why life uses only left-handed versions of amino acids. It turns out that molecules delivered to Earth in meteorites may have played a role in life's eventual bias toward molecules of a specific orientation. The work was recently published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. [Source NASA Astrobiology]

Posted by Keith Cowing at 9:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Editor's note: "Avatar", a film by former NASA Advisory Committee member James Cameron, will debut across the planet on 18 December. Widely hailed as "ground breaking" the film may well push the boundaries of what can be portrayed on the big screen. The film centers around humans mining precious materials on a world in the Alpha Centauri star system - and the inevitable conflict that arises with the local (sentient) inhabitants. The film delves into a wide range of issues that intersect with what NASA's Astrobiology Institute and Exobiology Programs have looked into in one way or another.

Unparalleled simulations of an extrasolar planet with a whole new ecology - but it would seem that NASA is not really interested in this film.

Continue reading "Avatar: A Stunning New World That NASA Is Ignoring" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 9:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The NAI extends its congratulations to University of Hawaii team member Tobias Owen for receiving the 2009 Gerard P. Kuiper Prize. The Gerard P. Kuiper Prize was established by the Division for Planetary Sciences (DPS) to recognize and honor outstanding contributors to planetary science. It is to be awarded to scientists whose achievements have most advanced our understanding of the planetary system. For more information: http://dps.aas.org/prizes/kuiper [Source: NAI Newsletter]

Posted by Keith Cowing at 10:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

NAI's New York Center for Astrobiology held its first Teachers Academy at RPI on July 13-16, 2009. Nine high school science teachers from four local school districts collaborated with six NAI scientists to learn about topics in astrobiology. The participants represent disciplines across the sciences: biology, chemistry, earth science, forensic science, and physics. The goal of the Academy was to develop a learning module infused with astrobiology and aligned with New York State standards and NASA Astrobiology Science Goals.

The teachers used science lectures, existing astrobiology curriculum materials, and consistent interaction with the scientists to develop their learning modules, which ranged in topic from the physiochemical limits to sustainable life, to colors of photosynthetic organisms on exoplanets, to nucleosynthesis of biologically-relevant elements. The teachers are implementing their modules in their classrooms this school year, and the Academy will be featured at the annual regional meeting of the Science Teachers Association of New York State in March, 2010. [Source: NASA Astrobiology]

Posted by Keith Cowing at 10:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Astrobiologists searching for life in the universe, believe that Darwin's vision of natural selection promises to profoundly alter and expand the notion of life and its origins.

John Baross, an oceanographer and astrobiologist from the University of Washington, Seattle, will explore this topic on Monday, Nov. 2, at 7 p.m. PST at the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts, 500 Castro St., Mountain View, Calif. Baross will reflect on Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection and possible evolutionary adaptations on other planetary bodies, in a lecture titled "Evolution of Astrobiology: Searching for Life in the Universe - A New Darwinian Voyage." Admission is free.
Sponsors of the lecture include the NASA Astrobiology Institute at NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif., and Lockheed Martin Corporation, Sunnyvale. Calif. This is the last in a series of Ames-hosted public lectures centered on the concept of evolution. In honor of the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin's birth and the 150th anniversary of the publication of "On the Origin of Species," Ames is looking at the evolution of science and technology, particularly as it contributes to the NASA mission.

For more information, visit: http://astrobiology.nasa.gov/

Posted by Keith Cowing at 9:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Tune into the latest from Omega Tau, a wide-reaching podcast series from Stuttgart, Germany, for an interview with NAI's Director Carl Pilcher as he talks about NAI, astrobiology, and the search for life elsewhere in the universe. For more information: http://omegataupodcast.net/2009/09/18-astrobiology-at-the-nasa-astrobiology-institute/ [Source: NAI Newsletter]

Posted by Keith Cowing at 12:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Astrobiology Science Conference 2010 will be held at the Lunar and Planetary Institute (LPI) April 26-29, 2010. Please submit the Indication of Intent form [ http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/abscicon2010/iofi/ ] by October 1, 2009, in order to be added to the mailing list to receive reminders and other pertinent information related to the conference.

View the Announcement Now!! Source: NAI Newsletter

Posted by Keith Cowing at 9:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Astrophysics Division of NASA's Science Mission Directorate is soliciting nominations for the Executive Committee of a newly established Exoplanet Exploration Program Analysis Group (ExoPAG). The inaugural ExoPAG Chair will be Jim Kasting, a long-time member of the astrobiology community and the NAI. The ExoPAG will be responsible for soliciting and coordinating community input into the development and execution of NASA's Exoplanet Exploration Program. Interested members of the astrobiology community are encouraged to nominate colleagues or themselves to serve on the ExoPAG Executive Committee. The deadline for receipt of nominations is Sept. 4, 2009. For more information: http://exep.jpl.nasa.gov/exep_exoPAG.cfm Source: NAI Newsletter

Posted by Keith Cowing at 10:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

COSPAR, the Committee on Space Research of the International Council for Science, is seeking candidates to be nominated for COSPAR awards and medals, which recognize the outstanding achievements of space scientists throughout the world. The awards will be presented at the 38th COSPAR Scientific Assembly, to be held in Bremen, Germany, 18-25 July, 2010.

It is important to honor the contributions of your colleagues. Please take a moment to consider nominees for the following awards and medals:

Continue reading "Seeking Nominees for COSPAR Awards and Medals" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 10:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Release Date: August 14, 2009 Proposal Deadline: November 18, 2009

NASA and The Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) are pleased to announce the Multi-Cycle Treasury Programs Call for Proposals for Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Observations. Participation in this program is open to all categories of organizations, both domestic and foreign, including educational institutions, profit and nonprofit organizations, NASA Centers, and other Government agencies.

Continue reading "Hubble Space Telescope Multi-Cycle Treasury (MCT) Programs Call for Proposals" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 10:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Academy presents a number of awards, spanning a wide range of scientific disciplines, to recognize outstanding achievements in science.

Nominations for awards to be presented in the year 2010 will be accepted through September 15, 2009.

Continue reading "Call for Nominations: National Academy of Science Awards" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 10:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This amendment establishes a new program element in Appendix D.12 entitled "SPICA Science Investigation Concept Studies." This new program element solicits proposals for concept studies of science investigations that would develop and use scientific instrumentation on the JAXA/ISAS Space Infrared Telescope for Cosmology and Astrophysics (SPICA). This mission will cover the mid (> 5 micrometers) through far (~400 micrometers) infrared portion of the spectrum to observe many astrophysical phenomena from distant galaxies to star and planet forming systems in our own Galaxy. SPICA will use a cooled telescope (3.5 m diameter primary, ~5 K) to achieve sensitivities currently inaccessible to existing facilities operating over this wavelength range (SOFIA, Herschel). The planned observatory would have a suite of instruments, both imaging and spectroscopic.

Notices of Intent to propose are due September 2, 2009, and proposals are due November 2, 2009. The maximum period of performance for these concept studies is 6 months.

Further information about the SPICA Science Investigation Concept Studies program element is available from Dr. Eric P. Smith, Astrophysics Division, Science Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters, Washington, DC 20546; Telephone: (202) 358-2439; E-mail: Eric.P.Smith@nasa.gov

Posted by Keith Cowing at 11:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This amendment establishes a new program element in Appendix A.39 entitled "ESSP Venture-class Science Investigations: Earth Venture-1." The NASA Science Mission Directorate (SMD) Earth Science Division's Earth Venture (EV) is a new element within the Earth System Science Pathfinder (ESSP) Program. Earth Venture consists of a series of regularly solicited, competitively selected Earth Science investigations as recommended by the recent National Research Council's decadal survey in Earth science, Earth Science and Applications from Space: National Imperatives for the Next Decade and Beyond.

Continue reading "ROSES-09 Amendment 9: New Proposal Opportunity in Appendix A.39 entitled "ESSP Venture-class Science Investigations: Earth Venture-1"" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 11:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Planetary Science Division of NASA's Science Mission Directorate is now advertising for the senior Program Scientist for Astrobiology. In general, this civil servant will oversee the science content and execution of the Astrobiology Program. A detailed description of the position and how to apply for this opportunity can be found on http://www.usajobs.gov/ using the announcement number (or search number): HQ09B0156. This position opened on July 10 and will close August 10, 2009. I encourage anyone who is interested to apply.

James L. Green
Director Planetary Science Division

Posted by Keith Cowing at 11:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Comments are being solicited from members of the astrobiology community on the following paper(s) that will be submitted to the 2009-2011 Planetary Science Decadal Survey. Papers will be revised based on community feedback. Additonal papers will be posted as they become available.

* Astrobiology Research Priorities for Exoplanets (Last Updated: May 28, 2009)
* Astrobiology Research Priorities for Mercury, Venus, and the Moon (Added: June 8, 2009)
* Astrobiology Research Priorities for Mars (Added: June 10, 2009)
* Astrobiology Research Priorities for the Outer Solar System (Added June 15, 2009)
* Astrobiology Research Priorities for Primitive Asteroids (Added July 22, 2009)
* Limits of Terrestrial Life in Space (Added July 24, 2009)
* An Astrobiological Lens on Planetary System Science (Added July 24, 2009)
* Astrobiology Priorities for Planetary Science Flight Missions (Added July 24, 2009)

Please send comments on the first 5 papers (the last added July 22) to ps_decadal@nx.arc.nasa.gov no later than July 31, 2009. Please send comments on papers posted subsequently to the same address by August 17, 2009.

For more information and to download the papers, click here.

Posted by Keith Cowing at 4:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The 39+/-2Ma Haughton impact structure on Devon Island comprises a thick target succession of sedimentary rocks, mainly carbonates. The carbonates contain pre-impact organic matter, including fossil biological markers. Haughton is located in an area where no major thermal event has affected the sedimentary succession after heating caused by impact. This makes Haughton uniquely suitable for studies concerning the preservation of fossil biological markers following an impact event.

Continue reading "Preservation of Biological Markers in Clasts Within Impact Melt Breccias from the Haughton Impact Structure, Devon Island" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 2:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

With the assumption that future attempts to explore our Solar System for life will be limited by economic constraints, we have formulated a series of principles to guide future searches: (1) the discovery of life that has originated independently of our own would have greater significance than evidence for panspermia; (2) an unambiguous identification of living beings (or the fully preserved, intact remains of such beings) is more desirable than the discovery of markers or fossils that would inform us of the presence of life but not its composition; (3) we should initially seek carbon-based life that employs a set of monomers and polymers substantially different than our own, which would effectively balance the need for ease of detection with that of establishing a separate origin; (4) a "follow-the-carbon" strategy appears optimal for locating such alternative carbon-based life.

Continue reading "The Search for Alien Life in Our Solar System: Strategies and Priorities" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 8:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Science Mission Directorate (SMD) is releasing a NASA Announcement of Opportunity (NNH09ZDA007O), New Frontiers 2009. NASA expects to select up to three New Frontiers mission proposals for a 10 month Phase A study. Following evaluation of Phase A reports, NASA expects to approve one New Frontiers mission to proceed into Phase B and subsequent mission phases. Launch is to occur no earlier than late CY 2016 and no later than CY 2018. The proposed missions must address the science objectives of one of the eight mission concepts identified in the National Research Council's 2007 report, Opening New Frontiers in Space: Choices for the Next New Frontiers Announcement of Opportunity.

Continue reading "New Frontiers Announcement of Opportunity The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 11:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

n November 26, 2008, volunteers in programs within the NASA Nationwide Consortium participated in a two-hour, introductory training telecon covering the basic principles of astrobiology, sponsored by NAI's WISC team and JPL. The Consortium includes many of NASA's volunteer-based organizations such as the Solar System Ambassadors, the Night Sky Network, the Aerospace Education Services Project, the Explorer Schools, and the Educator Astronauts. These volunteers reach many thousands of teachers, students, and public audiences every year in assemblies and other presentations.

Continue reading "Astrobiology 101 for NASA Nationwide Consortium Members" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 9:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Come hear an interesting exchange of ideas as Lynn Rothschild, evolutionary biologist and astrobiologist at NASA Ames Research Center, and Father George Coyne, Director Emeritus of the Vatican Observatory, astronomer and Jesuit priest, discuss "Are We Alone? The Dance of the Fertile Universe." Ames Center Director, S. Pete Worden will moderate as they consider the fact that while the potential for life was present at the Big Bang, Earth may be the only place that promise was realized. They will also discuss from their different perspectives what niches life may have found since the Big Bang and muse on the significance of the fertile universe.

Continue reading ""Are We Alone? The Dance of the Fertile Universe" Public Lecture" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 12:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Editor's note: I just learned that my long time friend Mel Averner died last night. I will write something more lengthy at some point. Suffice it to say there were two people who taught more more than anyone else while I was at NASA - and after I left. Dick Keefe and Mel Averner. Not a thing happened in NASA's space life science programs in the 80's, 90's and recent years that was not directly or indirectly affected by Dick and Mel. Dick passed away several years ago. Mel was full of life and ideas up to the last moments of his life. I had a chance to speak with him last week. The conversation lasted 9 minutes. Long enough for him to say goodbye to me and for me to do so in exchange. Many of his friends had a chance to do the same. In so doing, Mel left little seeds in our minds - seeds that will continue to affect the way that we look at life on Earth and beyond for decades to come. I hope Mel's friends will take the time to post their thoughts below.

Posted by Keith Cowing at 3:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Workshop: OPEN QUESTIONS ON THE ORIGINS OF LIFE
SAN SEBASTIAN, SPAIN, MAY 20-23, 2009
Organizers: Pier Luigi Luisi and Kepa Ruiz-Mirazo

The overall idea behind this workshop is to tackle a number of key questions about the origin of life that still remain unanswered, attempt to clarify why it is so, and to discuss how to progress in our efforts to answer these questions.

In the field of the origins of life, as in many other fields, there is a tendency and a danger for all of us to keep working in our own, fairly narrow areas of expertise and ignore "the big picture". Thus, from time to time, it is important to ask "where are we in the field and what are the main stumbling blocks on the road?" A similar meeting was already held, in a preliminary form, in Erice, Sicily, in 2006. It created a considerable interest so many researchers asked that we continue the experiment in a more developed form. In fact, one conclusion of the Erice meeting was that it should be repeated, possibly on regular basis (every 2-3 years) and involved more countries and a larger number of young researchers.

Continue reading "Astrobiology Workshop: Open Questions on the Origins of Life" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 2:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Message from the Center Director Revised: Ames Takes On...The Vatican?

Well, not exactly. But at 7 p.m. on Thursday, February 19, Ames' own Lynn Rothschild will engage Father George Coyne, Director Emeritus of the Vatican Observatory (and my college adviser) on "The Limits to Life in a Fertile Universe." I will moderate as they consider the fact that while the potential for life was present at the Big Bang, the only place that the promise may have been realized is planet Earth. George Coyne, an astronomer and Jesuit priest, and Lynn Rothschild, an evolutionary biologist and astrobiologist, will approach this question from their different perspectives. They will consider what niches life may have found since the Big Bang, and muse on the significance of the fertile universe.

The talk will take place in the ballroom in Building 3 at 7 p.m. on February 19, 2009. It is being jointly hosted by ARC, the Commonwealth Club and the Yale Club. The event is open to the public; admission is $10, payable in advance or in cash at the door. If you wish to pay in advance via credit card, please contact Georgette Gehue of the Commonwealth Club at (408) 280-5842 or at email address ggehue@commonwealthclub.org. She will add your name to the list of attendees. She can also reserve a spot for you even if you pay at the door.

Light refreshments will be served.

I think this will be an extremely interesting exchange of ideas, and hope you will be able to join us.

S. Pete Worden
Center Director

Posted by Keith Cowing at 1:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The American Society for Gravitational and Space Biology (ASGSB), founded in 1984, provides a forum to foster research, education and professional development in the multidisciplinary fields of gravitational and space biology. We are a diverse group of scientists, engineers and students who exchange ideas that bridge basic and applied biological research in space and gravitational sciences. Our society of ~350 professionals and students from universities, government, and industry represents the core community with a mission to work closely with NASA to create and disseminate knowledge about how living organisms respond to gravity and the spaceflight environment.

This knowledge provides key insights into normal and abnormal cell function and organism physiology that cannot be observed using traditional experimental approaches on Earth, and serves as a venue for breakthrough biomedical and biotechnological discoveries to advance human exploration of space and improve quality of life for the general public. Our mission includes education and outreach to the general public, students and teachers, Congress, NASA and other domestic and foreign governmental agencies. Our community stimulates students to pursue careers in life science, technology, engineering and mathematics and trains the next generation of scientists and bioengineers.

Full text

Posted by Keith Cowing at 11:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Academy is a summer research internship that focuses on leadership, team building, and conducting applied research with NASA scientists in science, information technology and engineering. The program is a 10 week immersive summer internship for undergraduate juniors, seniors and first year graduate students. The internship includes a stipend from the State Space Grant Office up to $5000, housing, food stipend, transportation and travel expenses.

An abstract of each project at NASA Ames Research Center is available at http://academy.arc.nasa.gov/. Applications will be accepted through January 26, 2009.

Source: NAI Newsletter

Posted by Keith Cowing at 8:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The pilot-test of an NAI-supported curriculum entitled Astrobiology: An Integrated Science Approach will help kick-off the State of Maine's new Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Initiative. This initiative is the subject of a press conference to be given by Maine's Governor, The Honorable John E. Baldacci, on November 17th.

The curriculum was developed with significant input from the NAI Ames Team led by Dave Des Marais, who will speak at the press conference. Much of the team's research in astrobiology is captured in the curriculum.

Continue reading "Astrobiology Curriculum Pilot To Kick-Off Maine STEM Initiative" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 8:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A new collaboration between NAI and the American Society for Microbiology (ASM) enabled the production of a special astrobiology-themed event at this year's NABT 2008 Professional Development Conference, held in Memphis, TN, October 15-18th. ASM's K-12 Committee Chair graciously invited NAI to join them in making astrobiology the theme of the day-long event that ASM hosts at NABT each year. E/PO Leads from NAI's MBL and IPTAI teams, in collaboration with exobiology researcher Brad Bebout from NASA Ames, joined several astrobiologists from ASM's ranks in sharing lectures and classroom materials about microbial life in extreme environments. NABT supported the event by advertising it in their newsletter and highlighting it in the conference program.

Continue reading "NAI Teams with ASM to Share Astrobiology at National Association of Biology Teachers (NABT) Conference" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 8:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The next Astrobiology Graduate Student Conference (AbGradCon) will be held July 17 - 20 2009 at the University of Washington in Seattle. The primary objective of AbGradCon is to improve the future of astrobiology research by bringing together in a unique setting the early-career astrobiologists (graduate students and post-doctoral fellows within 2 years of finishing their Ph.D.) who will lead such research in the years to come. The conference is unique in that it is a student-led meeting, from the organization to the presentations. AbGradCon strives to remove the "pressures" of typical scientific meetings by providing a relaxed atmosphere in which presentations and round-table discussions are fostered along with numerous social activities. AbGradCon will also be hosted in the virtual world of Second Life at the NASA CoLab Sun Amphitheater.

For more information: http://tinyurl.com/abgradcon09

Source: NAI Newsletter

Posted by Keith Cowing at 8:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Date/Time: Monday, November 24, 2008 11:00 AM Pacific

Presenter: Roger Summons (Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, MIT)

Abstract: A great mass extinction took place 252 million years ago when approximately 90% of the existing marine taxa were lost. Both the magnitude of the extinction and the slowness of the subsequent faunal radiation are enigmatic. The event is also known for the number and diversity of theories about its cause(s) including catastrophic volcanism, sudden climate change, overturn of stagnant oceans and bolide impact. Studies of molecular fossils confirm that the oceans were stagnant (euxinic) for some considerable period of time before and after the main biological turnover. Accordingly this event appears to be the culmination of particular paleo-oceanographic circumstances that happened on a geological timescale.

For more information and participation instructions: http://astrobiology.nasa.gov/nai/seminars/detail/133

Source: NAI Newsletter

Posted by Keith Cowing at 8:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

NASA has awarded five-year grants, averaging $7 million each, to 10 research teams from across the country to study the origins, evolution, distribution, and future of life in the universe.

The interdisciplinary teams will become new members of the NASA Astrobiology Institute, located at NASA's Ames Research Center at Moffett Field, Calif. Teams from the University of Hawaii in Honolulu; Arizona State University in Tempe; the Carnegie Institution of Washington; Pennsylvania State University in University Park, Pa.; the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta; and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, N.Y., have been selected as members. Teams from Ames, NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., and two teams led by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., also have been selected.

Continue reading "NASA Selects Science Teams for Astrobiology Institute" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 6:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Dr. Mary A. Voytek, a microbiologist with the U.S. Geological Survey in Reston, VA, takes charge of NASA's Astrobiology Program effective September 15 as Interim Senior Scientist for Astrobiology in the Science Mission Directorate at NASA HQ.

Dr. Voytek takes over from Dr. John Rummel, who served as Senior Scientist for Astrobiology from late 2006 to August 2008. Dr. Rummel has taken a position with East Carolina University as Director of its Institute for Coastal Science and Policy.

Continue reading "Leadership change for NASA Astrobiology" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 11:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This amendment delays the proposal due dates for three program element of ROSES-2008: Earth Science for Decision Making: Gulf of Mexico Region (Appendix A.28), Outer Planets Research (Appendix C.7), and Astrobiology: Exobiology and Evolutionary Biology (Appendix C.17).

Continue reading "ROSES-08 Amendment 26: Several ROSES due dates extended" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 4:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The NASA Exoplanet Science Institute announces the introduction of the Sagan Postdoctoral Fellowship Program and solicits applications for fellowships to begin in the fall of 2009.

The Sagan Fellowships support outstanding recent postdoctoral scientists to conduct independent research that is broadly related to the science goals of the NASA Exoplanet Exploration area. The primary goal of missions within this program is to discover and characterize planetary systems and Earth-like planets around nearby stars.

Continue reading "Carl Sagan Postdoctoral Fellowships in Exoplanet Exploration" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 6:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

NNH08ZDA009O, entitled "Stand Alone Missions of Opportunity Notice (SALMON)" is being released by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) on September 3, 2008. This Announcement of Opportunity (AO) solicits investigations that address the science objectives of the Science Mission Directorate's (SMD) astrobiology, lunar science, and planetary science programs and the Exploration Science Mission Directorate's (ESMD) fundamental space biology program.

Continue reading "Stand Alone Mission of Opportunity Notice (SALMON) Announcement of Opportunity (AO); to include Astrobiology and Fundamental Space Biology" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 6:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Tune in for the all new 'Astrobiology Rap', written by Jonathan Chase for the latest Astrobiology Magazine European Edition (AMEE) -- the Nordic Invasion.

Jon is an early career researcher in science communication. Multi-talented, Jon has undergraduate degrees in both Aerospace Engineering, and Science and Science Fiction. As a post-graduate practitioner in communicating science, Jon is actively involved in a number of science communication activities.

Continue reading "Astrobiology Rap (Video)" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 3:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The European Workshop on Astrobiology will be held in Neuchatel, Switzerland, from 1 to 3 September. The event is organised by the European Astrobiology Network Association (EANA), the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Space Exploration Institute Neuchatel. In a number of sessions, the main topics of astrobiology are on the agenda, including:

Continue reading "European Workshop on Astrobiology, Neuchatel, Switzerland" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 4:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Australian Centre for Astrobiology has, after a period of transition, moved its headquarters from Macquarie University to the University of New South Wales (UNSW), also in Sydney. Its new web address is http://aca.unsw.edu.au. Its Director remains Prof Prof. Malcolm Walter (malcolm.walter@unsw.edu.au). The new Deputy Director is Prof. Brett Neilan (b.neilan@unsw.edu.au) whose research interests include the molecular biology and functional microbiology of stromatolite systems, and the toxins of cyanobacteria.

Continue reading "Australian Centre for Astrobiology" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 3:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Overview:

The 2008 Summer School program will be focussed on the exploration of icy worlds orbiting the giant planets of our Solar System. These satellites are important astrobiology targets in the exploration plans of space agencies as refl ected in the successes of the Galileo mission to Jupiter and the Cassini-Huygens mission to Saturn.

Continue reading "The Astrobiology of Icy Worlds" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 9:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Wandering Poles on Europa

A new study in the May 15th issue of Nature from NAI’s Carnegie Institution of Washington Team reveals that Europa’s poles may not have always been located in the same place. Using images from three NASA spacecraft, Voyager, Galileo, and New Horizons, the study mapped surface features on Europa and matched them with a pattern predicted if Europa had experienced an episode of ~80 degree true polar wander. This movement of the pole and subsequent change in rotation axis is only possible if Europa’s outer shell is decoupled from the core by a liquid layer, so the study also reinforces evidence for the presence of an ocean on Europa.

Continue reading "Recently Published Research from the NAI" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 10:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Jim Kasting was recently elected as Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Jim is a member of the NAI's Pennsylvania State University and Virtual Planetary Laboratory @ UW teams, and a PI in the Exobiology program. The American Academy of Arts & Sciences is one of the nation's oldest and most prestigious honorary societies and independent policy research centers. Jim has also been named a Fellow of the Geochemical Society. The honorary title is "bestowed upon outstanding scientists who have, over some years, made a major contribution to the field of geochemistry.

For more information: http://astrobiology.nasa.gov/nai/articles/jim-kasting-elected-fellow-of-the-american-academy-of-arts-and-sciences-and-of-the-geochemical-society/ [Source: NAI Newsletter]

Posted by Keith Cowing at 10:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

University of Arizona researcher and educator Chris Impey has received the 2008 ASP Richard H. Emmons award, which recognizes and celebrates outstanding achievement in the teaching of college-level introductory astronomy for non-science majors. The award citation states that "Innovation is certainly a hallmark of Chris's approach to teaching astronomy. He is ever thought provoking and engaging; students benefit from his refreshing methods that use interactive techniques and a blend of online and classroom teaching." For more information: http://astrobiology.nasa.gov/nai/articles/chris-impey-receives-asp-richard-h-emmons-award/ [Source: NAI Newsletter]

Posted by Keith Cowing at 10:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Video games and virtual worlds are a great way to inspire kids' interest in science and technology. The President's Commission on Implementation of US Space Exploration Policy reports that "...video and simulation games are not only a multi-billion dollar industry, they are proving to be effective as learning devices for people of all ages" ... "The potential for converting hobbies and amusements to more educational pursuits is enormous."

Continue reading "Astrobiology Meets the Video Game: Spore" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 2:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Santa Clara, California, April 14–17, 2008

The 5th Astrobiology Science Conference (AbSciCon08), hosted by the SETI Institute, brings together a community of scholars, students, and educators that is as vigorous and intellectually diverse as ever. These qualities are reflected in the content of this volume, which includes 647 abstracts involving 1,683 authors from 28 countries. These abstracts are organized into 38 topical sessions and 6 plenary sessions that were developed around the three major themes of the conference: the astrophysical and planetary context for life; the origin and evolution of life; and the search for life in our Solar System and beyond. An astounding range of subjects is covered--from prebiotic chemistry to cosmology, with stops at virology, Precambrian geochemistry, and Mars exploration, among other subjects, along the way. Presenta- tions on engaging students, teachers, and the public in astrobiology thread throughout the conference, reflecting its broad appeal. Clearly, the community is healthy and poised for a vibrant future!

Continue reading "The Astrobiology Science Conference, 2008" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 11:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The new integrated website for NASA's Astrobiology Program was launched on Friday, March 21: http://astrobiology.nasa.gov/. The link to the NAI website remains the same: http://nai.nasa.gov and its contents have been redesigned and integrated with the program site. NAI Central staff worked with Astrobiology Program Communications Coordinator, Linda Billings, to design and implement the new website. We're pleased that NAI Central has been able to make this contribution to the Astrobiology Program and the community. We invite you to take a look at the new site and send us your comments, using the page feedback boxes online. [Source NAI newsletter]

Posted by Keith Cowing at 8:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Full report

Executive Summary

Astrobiology is a scientific discipline devoted to the study of life in the universe--its origins, evolution, distribution, and future. It brings together the physical and biological sciences to address some of the most fundamental questions of the natural world: How do living systems emerge? How do habitable worlds form and how do they evolve? Does life exist on worlds other than Earth?

Continue reading "NASA SSB Report: Assessment of the NASA Astrobiology Institute" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 3:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This amendment explicitly includes the search for extrasolar planets that may harbor intelligent life within the scope of the Origins of Solar Systems program.

The first paragraph of Section 1 is amended to state that, "These investigations may involve ... the detection and characterization of other planetary systems including those that may harbor intelligent life." The second paragraph of Section 1 is amended to include the following as one of the categories that Origins of Solar Systems proposals should fall into: "Investigations to identify and characterize signal characteristics and/or observable properties of extrasolar planets which may distinguish planetary systems with intelligent life."

On or about February 29, 2008, this Amendment to the NASA Research Announcement "Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Sciences (ROSES) 2008" (NNH08ZDA001N) will be posted on the NASA research opportunity homepage at http://nspires.nasaprs.com/ (select "Solicitations" then "Open Solicitations" then "NNH08ZDA001N").

Further information about this program element is available from Dr. Zlatan Tsvetanov, Astrophysics Division, Science Mission Directorate, NASA, Washington, DC 20546; Telephone: (202) 358-0810; E-mail: Zlatan.Tsvetanov@nasa.gov.

Posted by Keith Cowing at 6:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) recognizes the advancement of the commercial suborbital spaceflight industry and requests information on potential human-tended flight experiments enabled by this capability. NASA's Science Mission Directorate (SMD) is in the formulation phase of a possible new program to fly government-sponsored payloads and researchers on commercial suborbital systems with the intent of advancing SMD's goals and objectives. Responses to this RFI (NNH08ZDA004L) will be used to inform NASA's program planning.

Continue reading "NASA RFI - Scientist Participant Suborbital Science Pilot Program - Flight Research" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 6:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The NASA High-End Computing (HEC) Program is considering awards of computing time to Principal Investigators with projects supported by NASA's Science Mission Directorate. Only the PIs of currently funded SMD research projects are eligible to propose. Requests must be submitted at https://ebooks.reisys.com/gsfc/nccs/submission/index.jsp?solId=27 by March 20, 2008, for May 1, 2008 awards.

For additional information about requesting computing time on NASA HEC resources go to http://www.hec.nasa.gov.

Questions may be addressed to Dr. Tsengdar Lee, Scientific Computing Portfolio Manager
NASA Science Mission Directorate,
Phone: 202-358-0860,
Email:Tsengdar.J.Lee@nasa.gov.

Posted by Keith Cowing at 6:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Presenter: J. William Schopf
Date/Time: 2/25/2008 11:00 AM PST

Throughout recorded Earth history, microbial life has been ubiquitous, abundant, metabolically diverse, and, for the Precambrian four billion years of geologic time, biotically predominant. In the search for life elsewhere in the Cosmos, the prokaryote-dominated world of the Precambrian is the best analogue we know. Though evidence of microbe-level life will thus be sought in rocks returned from Mars, for the first such missions only minimal samples will be available. This raises important questions: What amount of rock is needed to detect past life? What evidence is required to establish biogenicity? How can true fossils be distinguished from contaminants?

Continue reading "2/25 Director's Seminar: "Can Rocks from Mars Yield Definitive Evidence of Past Life?"" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 10:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Dear ASGSB Members and Friends

The Second Announcement of the ESA ISGP ASGSB ELGRA meeting in Angers, France, June 23-27 will be sent to you soon from the ESA Conference Bureau. The scientific committee is very excited about the developments so far leading up to the meeting, which is titled "Life in Space for Life on Earth". Here are a few things you should know right away.

Continue reading "ESA ISGP ASGSB ELGRA meeting in Angers, France" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 6:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This past summer, NAI participated in organizing a special weekend workshop held at NASA Ames Research Center entitled "The Future of Intelligence in the Cosmos." The workshop brought together internationally renown scientists and thinkers to explore potential scenarios for the evolution of intelligent civilizations in our galaxy. The talks were organized into sessions including The Fermi Paradox, Cultural Evolution, The Nature of Intelligence, and Technological Evolution, followed by several breakout sessions. The proceedings are now available for download at: http://event.arc.nasa.gov/main/home/reports/CP2007-214567_Langhoff.pdf

[Source: NAI newsletter]

Posted by Keith Cowing at 1:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The SETI Institute is pleased to announce that applications are now open for the 2008 REU (Research Experiences for Undergraduates) program in Astrobiology. Undergraduate students in fields such as astronomy, biology, geology, chemistry, and physics are invited to apply to spend 10 weeks in the San Francisco Bay area working on a scientific research project in the field of astrobiology. Students receive a stipend, travel, and living expenses. Applications are due by February 1, 2008. For more information, visit http://www.seti.org/reu or contact Cynthia Phillips, phillips@seti.org, 650-810-0230.

Poster can be downloaded from: http://www.seti.org/pdfs/reuposter-2008.pdf

[Source: NAI newsletter]

Posted by Keith Cowing at 1:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Chris Impey from the University of Arizona is the author of the new book "The Living Cosmos: Our Search for Life in the Universe." Published by Random House in December, the book has been met with critical acclaim, especially in this review from the LA Times: http://www.latimes.com/features/books/la-et-book28dec28,1,1847735.story?ctrack=1&cset=true

[Source: NAI newsletter]

Posted by Keith Cowing at 1:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Every semester, NAI sponsors an online course for teachers in astrobiology through the National Teacher Enhancement Network at Montana State University. Teachers login to the course at a time of day that best fits their schedule; it's necessary to connect at least 4 times a week, giving a commitment of 9-12 hours each week to stay current and successfully complete this 3 credit course. This semester's course runs from January 21 - May 2, 2008. For more information, go to: http://btc.montana.edu/courses/aspx/nten.aspx?TheID=162

[Source: NAI newsletter]

Posted by Keith Cowing at 1:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In recognition of the pioneering role Stanley L. Miller played in our understanding of the origins of life, ISSOL, The International Astrobiology Society, shall present at each triennial meeting a Stanley L. Miller Award for outstanding contributions by a young scientist (under the age of 37) to origins of life research. The award is based on scientific merit without regard to nationality. The recipient will be honored during the awards banquet at the close of each triennial meeting. The next ISSOL meeting will be held in Florence from August 24-29, 2008 (http://www.dbag.unifi.it/issol2008/).

Continue reading "ISSOL Seeks Nominations for New Stanley L. Miller Award" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 1:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Committee on the Review of the NASA Astrobiology Institute, National Research Council

Full report

Executive Summary: Astrobiology is a scientific discipline devoted to the study of life in the universe--its origin, evolution, distribution, and future. It brings together the physical and biological sciences to address some of the most fundamental questions of the natural world: How do living systems emerge? How do habitable worlds form and how do they evolve? Does life exist on worlds other than Earth? The tremendous breadth and depth of this endeavor requires interdisciplinary investigation in order to be fully appreciated and examined.

Continue reading "NRC Report: Assessment of the NASA Astrobiology Institute" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 12:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

December 3rd A reminder, the abstract submission deadline for AbSciCon has been extended to December 3rd. For more information, see: http://abscicon.seti.org/

[Source: NAI Newsletter]

Posted by Keith Cowing at 8:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

AbGradCon 08, an astrobiology conference for early-career astrobiologists, will take place on 13-14 April 2008 in Santa Clara, CA, USA (immediately before AbSciCon). AbGradCon is open to graduate students studying subjects relevant to astrobiology, and to those who have received their PhD in such subjects within the previous two years. Registration will be free and will be open shortly. There will be some funding available for travel grants. For more information, visit the AbGradCon website at http://people.ku.edu/~dimitra/agc08/agc08.html [Source: NAI Newsletter]

Posted by Keith Cowing at 8:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

NAI Central is pleased to announce the news that its recent proposal to the NASA Science Mission Directorate E/PO Program entitled "NASA and the Navajo Nation 2: The Moon" has been selected for funding. This award will enable the continued collaboration with leaders and educators from the Navajo Nation toward the production of educational materials which bring together astrobiology science and Navajo cultural knowledge, in particular of the Moon. For more information, please contact Daniella Scalice, daniella.m.scalice@nasa.gov.

[Source: NAI Newsletter]

Posted by Keith Cowing at 8:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Researchers from NAI's University of Hawai'i Team and their colleagues have a new paper in Geobiology reviewing recent work on the climatic, geochemical, and ecological events that preceded animal fossils, considering their portent for metazoan evolution. They also consider recent published research on the nature and chronology of the earliest fossil record of metazoans, and on the molecular-based analysis that yielded dates older than the last 35 million years of the Precambrian for the appearance of major animal groups.

[Source: NAI Newsletter]

Posted by Keith Cowing at 8:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Dear ASGSB Members,

I am pleased to announce that the membership of the ASGSB has successfully voted electronically for the first time and elected Jeffery R. Alberts President-Elect and 5 new Governing Board members: Ted A. Bateman, J. David Dickman, Melissa Kirven-Brooks, Stephen J. Moorman (completing the term of Diana Jennings), and Muneo Takaoki.

We greatly appreciate the willingness and efforts of all of the members who ran for office, including Marshall Porterfield, Elison Blancaflor, Gioia Massa, and Bruce Yost, to contribute to the governance and mission of the Society. Special thanks for service is given to members who rotated off the Board: Simon Gilroy, Diana Jennings, David Klaus, April Ronca, Paul Todd, and Wenonah Vercoutere. The Board also approved David K. Chapman as Secretary-Treasurer, who kindly consented to continue dealing with the challenges of this position. I look forward to working with the newly elected members and members at large as we strengthen the role of our Society in advancing America's leadership in space-related science.

Danny A. Riley
President, ASGSB

Posted by Keith Cowing at 9:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Planets & Life: The Emerging Science of Astrobiology Woodruff Sullivan & John Baross (eds.). Cambridge Univ. Pr. (2007) Twenty-eight chapters (650 pp) by experts on all aspects of astrobiology; designed for seniors and graduate student science majors and professionals who want to learn the basics outside their own field; also appropriate as a textbook for astrobiology courses. For more information: http://www.cambridge.org/catalogue/catalogue.asp?isbn=9780521531023 [Source: NAI Newsletter]

Posted by Keith Cowing at 12:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Penn State will continue its summer program for undergraduates with renewed funding (three years) from the National Science Foundation. Each summer the program supports 10 students from universities and colleges across the U.S., between their freshman and senior years, to conduct research with astrobiologists for 10 weeks at Penn State (early June to early August). Activities also include a behind-the-scenes field trip to NASA-Goddard Space Flight Center, NASA Headquarters, the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum, as well as weekly seminars, discussion groups and a research symposium. The program covers the cost of travel, room, and meals and provides a $4,000 stipend. For further information see http://evo.bio.psu.edu/asp/.

Source: NAI Newsletter

Posted by Keith Cowing at 7:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Even though the NAI doesn't operate on an academic year calendar, I can't help but feel that we are starting a "new year" this month. It's not just that I became Director on Sept. 17, 2006, exactly a year ago, but also that one of NAI's most important milestones, presenting our programs to the National Research Council (NRC) committee reviewing the Institute, was completed just before the Labor Day weekend.

Continue reading "NASA Astrobiology Institute Director's Corner" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 7:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

As noted in the Spring 2007 newsletter, nominations for the following ASGSB awards are due no later than 5 PM PST, October 1, 2007.  Please note that the individual selected must be at the meeting to receive the award.

Previous winners of the awards can be found at http://www.asgsb.org/awards.html

1. Thora W. Halstead Young Investigator Award: This award honors a young scientist who exemplifies Thora's drive and enthusiasm for science, and who has made significant contributions to the field of space biology.

2. Orr Reynolds Distinguished Service Award: This award is made to an individual for distinguished service to the Society "above and beyond the call of duty."

3. Founder's Award: This award is the highest honor given by the Society. It is made to a member of the Society for distinguished scientific contributions to and leadership in the field of gravitational and space biology.

The final recipients of these awards are chosen by the Awards Committee, in consultation with the current President and the Executive Director. Nominations from the Society's membership are very strongly encouraged and may be submitted to Chair Emily Holton or to the Executive Director.

Nominations should be accompanied by the name and professional address of the candidate and a short Curriculum Vitae, along with a paragraph outlining why the candidate is particularly deserving of the award. The most direct mechanism for submissions is by e-mail to Dr. Emily Holton, Chair, Awards Committee, eholton@mail.arc.nasa.gov

Emily Morey-Holton, Ph.D.
Chair, Awards Committee

Posted by Keith Cowing at 3:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

An international team of researchers, including members of NASA Astrobiology Institute's (NAI) Virtual Planetary Laboratory team used NASA's Spitzer Space telescope to detect the presence of water vapor on the hot Jupiter Henry Draper (HD) Catalog 189733b. (The "b" after the number indicates that the reference is to a planet circling the star with that number.)

This is significant because several attempts to detect water on such planets either failed to find compelling evidence or made it clear that their claims should not be taken as fact. An article about this study was published recently in Nature magazine. The study's primary author, Giovanna Tinetti was a 2003 NAI Postdoctoral Fellow.

Posted by Keith Cowing at 11:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

NASA Arctic Mars Analog Svalbard Expedition Field Report (AMASE 2007): Arriving in Longyearbyen, Kirsten Fristad, NASA GSFC

"I became more and more excited the closer I got to Longyearbyen, Svalbard. After a busy year working in the SAM Lab at NASA Goddard I am returning to the arctic as part of the Arctic Mars Analog Svalbard Expedition, otherwise known as AMASE 07. No longer a 'newbie' to AMASE, I know I am quickly approaching long work days, sleepless nights and instrument malfunctions. I am also approaching jovial camaraderie, new experiences and the most beautiful landscapes I have ever set eyes on."

ESA AMASE student blog: Arrival at Longyearbyen, Thea Falkenbergand, ESA

"We arrived at Longyearbyen at about 14:00 yesterday with only a single suitcase missing, which fortunately turned up later when the rest of our cargo was located. About half of the expedition arrived on this flight, some with up to 200 kg overweight ;-)."

Arctic Mars Analog Svalbard Expedition
Previous AMASE postings (2006 and 2007)

Posted by Keith Cowing at 2:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Maggie Turnbull, a 2004 NAI Postdoctoral Fellow and now an astrobiologist at the Space Telescope Science Institute, was recently named a "Genius" by CNN for her work cataloging stars most likely to develop planets that could support life and intelligent civilizations. Congratulations Maggie!

http://www.cnn.com/2007/LIVING/wayoflife/07/13/genius.scientists/ [Source: NAI Newsletter]

Posted by Keith Cowing at 12:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This new video from JPL shows how NASA astrobiologists are gathering exciting clues that will help them pick the best spots to search for possible signs of life beyond Earth. http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/videos/phoenix/phx20070724/ [Source: NAI Newsletter]

Posted by Keith Cowing at 12:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This new article from Science & Spirit magazine cogitates on 'following the water' in the search for life elsewhere, and the relationship between water and enlightenment in mythology and human psychology. http://www.science-spirit.org/newdirections.php?article_id=719 [Source: NAI Newsletter]

Posted by Keith Cowing at 12:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Many NAI members will be attending next week's Bioastronomy meeting in San Juan Puerto Rico. As an experiment at this interdisciplinary conference, we have asked our meeting attendees to define jargon and vocabulary words that someone outside their discipline might not understand in an interdisciplinary event. We have had quite good response to this, but would like to fill out our list a bit more, and are asking you to help. Think back to your recent talks or upcoming talks and select a few words you use that could be entered into our glossary. Our hope is that this will be a continuing/ evolving resource for the whole institute.

Continue reading "Your Assistance is needed for Bioastronomy 2007 Meeting" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 8:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Science Steering Committee of the 2008 Astrobiology Science Conference (April 15-17, Santa Clara, California, USA) invites proposals for sessions related to the major scientific themes: "The Astronomical and Planetary Context for Life", "The Origin and Evolution of Life", and "The Search for Life in our Solar System and Beyond". To submit proposals, and for more details, please go to the conference website, http://abscicon.seti.org. The deadline for submission of session topic proposals is July 23, 2007. Questions can be addressed to: session.proposals@seti.org.

Posted by Keith Cowing at 8:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Members of the media are invited to attend Bioastronomy 2007, a meeting convened by an international organizing committee of representatives from the scientific community. Scientists from all over the world will gather at this meeting in San Juan to report on latest findings in the study of the origin, evolution, distribution, and future of life in the universe.

Continue reading "Bioastronomy 2007" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 11:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

THE LIMITS OF ORGANIC LIFE IN PLANETARY SYSTEMS, a new report from the National Research Council, examines the search for life elsewhere in the universe and whether the fundamental requirements for life as we generally know it are the only ways phenomena recognized as "life" could be supported beyond our planet.

Continue reading "The National Academies Search for 'weird' life" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 11:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Dear ASGSB members, The deadline for submitting abstracts for the 2007 Annual Meeting is Friday, July 6 (http://www.asgsb.org/abstract/abstractsubmission.html).

Continue reading "ASGSB Annual Meeting Abstract Notice" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 1:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

"In July 2007 several hundred students will get look over the shoulder of space researchers at a remote research base in the Canadian arctic. The place: Devon Island, a place many call "Mars on Earth". Our team will visit Devon Island to conduct 5 days of webcasts and other instructional activities spanning the period of 16-20 July 2007. Our team consists of 4 individuals: veteran astronauts William Readdy and Leroy Chiao, horticulturist/space researcher Matthew Reyes, and space biologist Keith Cowing (who is also the team lead for this project)."

More information

Posted by Keith Cowing at 11:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Science Steering Committee of the 2008 Astrobiology Science Conference (April 15-17, Santa Clara, California, USA) invites proposals for sessions related to the major scientific themes: "The Astronomical and Planetary Context for Life", "The Origin and Evolution of Life", and "The Search for Life in our Solar System and Beyond".

Continue reading "Astrobiology Science Conference (AbSciCon) 2008 Call for Session Topic Proposals" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 5:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The National Research Council's Space Studies Board will host a colloquium on astrobiology and Mars exploration at the Hilton Pasadena Hotel. Participants will hear briefings from the chairs of three recent Academies studies on different aspects of exploration for life on Mars and other potential organic environments in the universe. There will also be a status report on NASA's plans for Mars exploration. This Research Council colloquium precedes the 7th International Conference on Mars at California Institute of Technology.

Continue reading "National Academies Advisory: July 8 Mars Colloquium in Pasadena, CA" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 8:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The NAI has been called upon to use its expertise in managing a complex, distributed research organization to lead the development of a new web presence for NASA's Astrobiology Program.

Continue reading "NAI Embarks on New Astrobiology Program Website" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 11:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

On Monday, June 18, 2007, astrobiologist Robert Hazen of the Carnegie Institution and George Mason University, will provide insights into the emergence of life on our planet--and perhaps others--during a Directorate for Biological Sciences Distinguished Lecture at the National Science Foundation (NSF) in Arlington, Va.

Continue reading "Astrobiologist Robert Hazen lecture at NSF on the origin of life" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 8:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

NAI is offering ten full-funded scholarships for students who wish to attend the 2007 International Summer School in Astrobiology, Santander, Spain, July 2-6. The topic for this year's school is "Mars Exploration: The next ten years." The summer schools are co-sponsored by the Spanish Centro de Astrobiologia and the NASA Astrobiology Institute. The application deadline is May 31. For more information, please see: http://nai.nasa.gov/UIMP/MarsExpl [Source: NAI Newsletter]

Posted by Keith Cowing at 3:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The NAI Minority Institution Research Support (MIRS) Program is pleased to announce the selection of two faculty sabbatical research awards to Abel Mendez, from the University of Puerto Rico, Arecibo, and to Don Walter from South Carolina State University. The NAI-MIRS program, which is funded by the NAI, provides opportunities for researchers, from qualified minority serving institutions, to initiate joint partnerships with researchers in the field of astrobiology.

Continue reading "NAI Announces Two MIRS Sabbatical Awards" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 3:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The following new papers have been published recently by NAI members. These and other recent NAI funded research are presented on the NAI member portal and collected in the NAI Research Highlights Archive - http://nai.arc.nasa.gov/research/. In this archive, you can link to the papers and any press materials that may have been generated about them.

If you have an upcoming or recent publication, please tell us about it as soon as possible. We will work with your institution to produce press releases, publicize the paper on the NAI website, and pre-populate your team's annual report with your publication. Please send any information to Daniella Scalice dscalice@mail.arc.nasa.gov [Source: NAI Newsletter]

Posted by Keith Cowing at 3:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

UW Seminar: Four Billion Years of Climate Change (Lessons from the Precambrian): From Oxygen Poisoning to Snowballs & True Polar Wander Presenter: Joe Kirschvink

Date/Time: 5/29/2007 02:30 PM PDT

Continue reading "Seminar" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 3:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Posted by Keith Cowing at 9:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

NASA Selects New Members of Astrobiology Institute

"NASA is awarding five-year grants to four research teams that will become new members of the NASA Astrobiology Institute (NAI). The new multidisciplinary teams are led by the University of Wisconsin, Madison; the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena; Montana State University, Bozeman; and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge. For the first 18 months of research, teams will receive $350,000 in funding. The five-year average grant size is approximately $7 million per team."

Posted by Keith Cowing at 4:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Search for Habitable Planets Outside Earth's Solar System in Astrobiology

"Which planets outside of Earth's Solar System are most likely to be capable of supporting life is a question that will be the focus of both a NASA-sponsored workshop later this year and a special collection of papers in the Spring 2007 (Volume 7, Number 1) issue of Astrobiology, a peer-reviewed journal published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc."

Posted by Keith Cowing at 1:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

One of the most satisfying aspects of astrobiology is the quality of the students and young researchers it attracts. I am particularly gratified by the quality of a recent applicant pool to the NAI Postdoctoral Fellowship Program (a part of the NASA Postdoctoral Program administered by the Oak Ridge Associated Universities) and the individuals we were able to select. I'd like to tell you a little about them.

Continue reading "NASA Astrobiology Institute Director's Corner" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 12:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Recently produced by the Canadian Broadcasting Company, "The Virus Hunters" is a fascinating look at these creatures, from their role in disease to the possibility of being the oldest form of life on Earth. NAI Virus Focus Group Co-Chairs Ken Stedman and Baruch Blumberg, and their team, are featured during one of their field trips to Lassen Volcanic National Park. http://www.cbc.ca/doczone/virushunters.html [Source: NAI newsletter]

Posted by Keith Cowing at 1:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The American Society for Microbiology recently announced its 2007 General Meeting Award Laureates, and two NAI scientists have received honors. Mitch Sogin, PI of NAI's Marine Biological Laboratory Team, is presented with the USFCC/J. Roger Porter Award for his research in environmental microbial diversity. Norm Pace, from NAI's University of Colorado, Boulder Team, is presented with the Abbott/ASM Lifetime Achievement Award for his outstanding contributions and research in the field of microbial ecology. Norm was nominated by none other than Carl Woese, and Mitch was nominated by his fellow awardee Norm Pace! Congratulations Mitch and Norm! [Source: NAI newsletter]

Posted by Keith Cowing at 12:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The following new papers have been published recently by NAI members. These and other recent NAI funded research are presented on the NAI member portal and collected in the NAI Research Highlights Archive - http://nai.arc.nasa.gov/research/. In this archive, you can link to the papers and any press materials that may have been generated about them.

Continue reading "Recently Published Research from the NAI" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 8:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Applications are due May 15, 2007, for NASA's 19th Annual Planetary Science Summer School, which will hold two sessions this summer, July 23-27 and August 6-10, at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California.

Continue reading "NASA Planetary Science Summer School- APPLICATIONS DUE MAY 15" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 8:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

NAI's Marine Biological Laboratory and Carnegie Institution of Washington Teams are contributing authors on a new paper in Earth and Planetary Science Letters presenting a new model for the evolution of Proterozoic deep seawater composition based on rare earth elements. Their data suggest transitional, suboxic conditions in the deep ocean (vs. sulfidic), which likely limited nutrient concentrations in seawater and, consequently, may have constrained biological evolution. [Source: NAI Newsletter]

Posted by Keith Cowing at 8:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

From Hawai'i to Massachusetts, workshops offering hands-on, in-the-field, in-the-lab experiences for teachers are being held this summer by NAI teams and others. The workshops feature cutting edge astrobiology research delivered by scientists and education professionals, as well as inquiry- and standards-based activities ready for the classroom. Many offer stipends and/or education credits. Click here for offerings from NAI's Teams at MBL, Penn State, University of Hawai'i, and the SETI Institute, as well as the Lunar and Planetary Institute. http://nai.nasa.gov/teachers/index.cfm#7 [source: NAI Newsletter]

Posted by Keith Cowing at 12:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Vienna, Austria, 15 - 20 April 2007: Session Description: Exo/Astrobiology - the study of the origins, early evolution, distribution and destiny of life - is a multidisciplinary science which encompasses, amongst others, the disciplines of chemistry, biology, geology, palaeontology, atmospheric physics, planetary sciences, astronomy and astrophysics. With the wealth of new information arriving from surface and orbital missions, there is plenty of fuel to fire our imaginations regarding the search for traces of past or present life on Mars. We therefore invite papers for this session on all aspects of astrobiology, especially those having particular relevance for upcoming and planned Mars missions, such as the European ExoMars mission (2013) and NASA's Astrobiology Field Laboratory (AFL-possibly in 2016).

Continue reading "Exo/Astrobiology: European Geosciences Union General Assembly 2007" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 7:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

NASA Administrator Michael Griffin announced Monday that Dr. S. Alan Stern will be the agency's associate administrator for the Science Mission Directorate, effective April 2. Stern succeeds Dr. Mary L. Cleave who announced her retirement.

Continue reading "Alan Stern Selected to Lead NASA Science Mission Directorate" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 1:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Pilot episodes of a new science television series, including one on "Extreme Virology," are available for viewing online. Produced by WIRED SCIENCE, a collaboration between WIRED Magazine and KCET/Los Angeles, these pilots may evolve into a larger PBS science program featuring astrobiology science topics. Check them out at: http://www.pbs.org/kcet/wiredscience/index.html [Source: Astrobiology Institute Newsletter]

Posted by Keith Cowing at 1:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The following new papers have been published recently by NAI members. These and other recent NAI funded research are presented on the NAI member portal and collected in the NAI Research Highlights Archive - http://nai.arc.nasa.gov/research/. In this archive, you can link to the papers and any press materials that may have been generated about them.

Continue reading "Recently Published Research from the NAI" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 1:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The NAI Minority Institution Research Support (MIRS) Program provides opportunities for researchers from qualified Minority Institutions to initiate joint partnerships with researchers in the field of astrobiology. The NAI-MIRS program provides summer sabbaticals, follow-up support, and travel opportunities for faculty and students from Minority Institutions.

Continue reading "NAI Minority Institution Research Support Program Application Deadline - April 2nd" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 1:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The NAI Postdoctoral Fellowship Program provides opportunities for Ph.D. scientists and engineers of unique promise and ability to perform research on problems largely of their own choosing, yet compatible with the research interests of NASA and the member teams of the NASA Astrobiology Institute. The next award cycle in which the NAI will participate has a March 1, 2007 application deadline. For additional information about the program see http://nasa.orau.org/postdoc . [Source: Astrobiology Institute Newsletter]

Posted by Keith Cowing at 1:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Lewis and Clark Fund for Exploration and Field Research in Astrobiology, a partnership between NAI and the American Philosophical Society (APS), is open to field studies in any area of interest to astrobiology. Grants may be used for travel and related expenses, including field equipment, up to $5,000. Applications will be reviewed by a committee that includes members of the NAI, the APS, and the wider science community as needed.

Continue reading "NAI Lewis and Clark Fund for Exploration and Field Research in Astrobiology Application Deadline - March 15th" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 1:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Please join me in welcoming Wendy Dolci back to the NAI as our Associate Director for Operations. From 2000-2004, Wendy served as the NAI Operations Manager and then Assistant Director, and played a lead role, during the Institute's formative years, in developing its processes and working methods as a virtual organization. She is very happy to be working once again with the NAI science community and the NAI Central team at Ames.

Continue reading "Message from the NAI Director: Wendy Dolci Selected as NAI Associate Director for Operations" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 8:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Using atmospheric chemical models of a Snowball Earth, scientists from NAI's Alumni Virtual Planetary Laboratory Team show that, during long and severe glacial intervals, a weak hydrological cycle coupled with photochemical reactions involving water vapor would give rise to the sustained production of hydrogen peroxide. The peroxide, upon release from melting ice into the oceans and atmosphere at the end of the snowball event, could mediate global oxidation events. Their results are published in the December 12th issue of PNAS. [Source: NAI Newsletter]

Production of hydrogen peroxide in the atmosphere of a Snowball Earth and the origin of oxygenic photosynthesis, PNAS

Continue reading "Snowball Earth and the Origin of Photosynthesis" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 1:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Presentations were given by videoconference and WebEx to the teams of the NASA Astrobiology Institute (NAI) on December 1, 2006. The presenters were senior officials of the Science Mission Directorate (SMD) at NASA Headquarters.

Continue reading "Science Mission Directorate Space Missions Briefing: Presentations and Podcasts Available" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 1:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The following new papers have been published recently by NAI members. These and other recent NAI funded research are presented on the NAI member portal and collected in the NAI Research Highlights Archive – http://nai.arc.nasa.gov/research/.

Continue reading "Recently Published Research from the NAI" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 1:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

"Dear Colleagues: I am pleased to announce that the 23rd Annual Meeting of the ASGSB will be held October 25-28, 2007, at the NASA Research Park, adjoining the Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California. Responding to the clear mandate that the Governing Board received from the poll of attendees at the Business Meeting last November, the Board has taken advantage of a cost-effective opportunity to utilize the Conference Center at the NASA Research Park and provide a traditional meeting format.

Continue reading "ASGSB To Meet at NASA Ames Research Center" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 1:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Mission Status Report: NASA's Orbiting GeneSat-1 Radios Date to Team on Earth

"The GeneSat-1 ground control station at NASA Ames will receive data radioed from the micro-laboratory after it has completed its observations and tests of the bacteria inside. The biological test will last only 96 hours, but the GeneSat-1 team will evaluate the stability of the orbiting payload's systems for four months to a year. The Small Spacecraft Office at NASA's Ames teamed up with industry and local universities to develop the fully automated, miniature GeneSat spaceflight system that provides life support for small living things."

GeneSat Mission Dashboard, Santa Clara University

GeneSat1, Real Time Satellite Tracking, NORAD ID: 29655 Int'l Code: 2006-058C

Where is GenSat1?

Posted by Keith Cowing at 1:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

NASA's GeneSat-1 Reaches Orbit on Air Force Rocket, NASA

"NASA's GeneSat-1 rode an Air Force rocket into Earth orbit on Dec. 16, 2006 at 4 a.m. PST (7 a.m. EST) from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility, Wallops Island, Va. The satellite's locator beacon has been detected, and data has been received as GeneSat-1 orbits Earth, according to scientists."

View Launch Video

Posted by Keith Cowing at 10:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

New Launch Target Date Set for NASA's GeneSat-1 Satellite

Posted by RCC on 2006-12-15 at 09:16:58 EST

"The Air Force TacSat-2/Minotaur 1 launch is on schedule for Saturday, Dec. 16. The launch window is 7 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. The TACSAT-2 micro satellite’s software issues have been resolved and it has been cleared for launch. Updates on the status of the launch will begin at 2 a.m. The launch will be visible in the surrounding area. A good vantage point to view the launch is the beach parking area on Assateague Island. Gates to Assateague Island National Seashore open at 6 a.m."

Live Webcast

Posted by Keith Cowing at 12:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The special issue devoted to papers from the Astrobiology Society of Britain Conference 2006:

Continue reading "International Journal of Astrobiology Vol. 5 Issue 03 Now Online" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 8:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Dr. Joshua Lederberg, a Nobel-winning microbiolgist whose advice helped create NASA's early biology programs, will receive the Medal of Freedom, the United States' highest civilian honor.

Continue reading "NASA Advisor on the Search for Life to Receive Medal of Freedom" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 12:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Follow along as scientists from NAI's University of Hawai'i Team go on expedition with the NSF/NASA-sponsored Antarctic Search for Meteorites (ANSMET) program. View photos, read about the team and their mission, and stay current with regular dispatches from the "Streets of McMurdo."

Continue reading "AI Researchers Search for Meteorites in Antarctica" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 12:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The NAI is pleased to announce the selection of four NASA Postdoctoral Program Fellows for 2006. They are:

Continue reading "The NASA Astrobiology Institute Selects Four New NAI Fellows" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 12:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Astrobiology December 2006 Issue - Portable Analyzer Is Powerful Tool for Detecting Biomarkers of Life on Mars, Astrobiology

The Mars Organic Analyzer (MOA) can detect a much broader spectrum of organic compounds than was previously possible, and these could serve as key biomarkers of extinct or existing life on Mars.

Astrobiology is the leading peer-reviewed journal in its field. To promote this developing field, the Journal has teamed up with The Astrobiology Web to highlight one outstanding paper per issue of Astrobiology. This paper is available free online at www.liebertpub.com/ast and to visitors of The Astrobiology Web.

Continue reading "December 2006 Issue of Astrobiology (Journal) Online" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 12:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The NAI is excited to announce the release of this year's NAI Annual Report. It can be viewed on the NAI website by navigating to the "Teams" section and selecting any team.

Continue reading "2006 Annual Report Goes Live" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 12:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

NAI has approved funding for the development of a new, state-of-the-art facility capable of recreating past atmospheric and oceanic conditions, to be called VAL, the Variable Atmospheres Laboratory. Capable of simulating various combinations of oxygen, carbon dioxide, temperature, and hydrogen sulfide levels, this facility will be able to test new hypotheses for the cause of some of the Earth's major mass extinction events - such as the Permian and Triassic mass extinctions.

Continue reading "NAI Researchers to Recreate Conditions of the Early Earth" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 12:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society (B). Organised and edited by Charles Cockell, Sydney Leach and Ian Smith Published August 2006

Continue reading "Conditions for the Emergence of Life on the Early Earth: Special Issue Special Issue" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 9:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Speakers: Sean Raymond (University of Colorado) and Avi Mandell (Goddard Space Flight Center) Date/Time: Monday, November 27, 2006 11AM PST

Continue reading "NAI Director's Seminar 11/27: Formation of Habitable Planetary Systems: Are We Normal?" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 9:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

With this amendment to ROSES-2006, NASA establishes a new program element in Appendix E.5 entitled "History of the Scientific Exploration of Earth and Space." The primary objective of the History of the Scientific Exploration of Earth and Space (HSEES) program element is to engage, inform, and inspire diverse public audiences by sharing historical knowledge about NASA's scientific exploration of the Earth and space and by communicating NASA's unique contributions to the advancement of Earth and space science during the past 50 years. An essential component of communicating to the public is accurate, complete, well-written histories about the scientific exploration of space.

Continue reading "ROSES-06 Amendment 19: New proposal opportunity for History of the Scientific Exploration of Earth and Space" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 9:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The National Science Foundation (NSF) invites proposals for the Major Research Instrumentation Program (MRI). See Program Solicitation NSF 07-510 at: http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2007/nsf07510/nsf07510.htm This solicitation addresses major instrument acquisition or instrument development that is too costly for support through other NSF programs.

Continue reading "NSF Major Research Instrumentation Program (MRI) Call for Proposals" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 9:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Astrobiology Primer: An Outline of General Knowledge appears in this month's issue of Astrobiology. Sponsored by the NASA Astrobiology Institute (NAI), the Primer was spearheaded by editor-in-chief Lucas Mix, and represents the work of 8 editors, 13 authors, and countless contributors.

Continue reading "Astrobiology Primer is Published" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 10:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Peter Ward from NAI's Alumni Team at the University of Washington and his collaborators have a new paper out in PNAS providing supportive evidence for Romer's Gap. Their results link this gap in vertebrate terrestrialization with a low atmospheric oxygen interval. This paper supports Ward's new book on the evolution of effective respiratory systems, entitled "Out of Thin Air." [Source: NAI Newsletter]

Posted by Keith Cowing at 10:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Director's Corner - Message from NASA Astrobiology Institute Director Carl Pilcher, NAI

"The clearest expression that astrobiology doesn't "measure up" comes from the Administrator of NASA himself, Mike Griffin. Mike has testified before Congress that he does not see astrobiology as having the same importance as other components of the NASA science portfolio. He's also been quoted as saying that it has less intrinsic subject matter, is less advanced, and that its questions are more vague. Shortly before I left NASA Headquarters I had the opportunity to have an "elevator conversation" with Mike about some of his perceptions about astrobiology."

Posted by Keith Cowing at 1:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Andrey Bekker of the Geophysical Laboratory, and the NAI - Carnegie Institution of Washington Team and Ganqing Jiang from the Department of Geoscience, University of Nevada Las Vegas have organized a session at the upcoming Geological Society of America meeting in Philadelphia, October 22 - 25, 2006.

Continue reading "Astrobiology Special Session at the Geological Society of America Annual Meeting" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 1:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

SETI Institute to Announce New Astrobiology Center - The Carl Sagan Center for the Study of Life in the Universe

"On Tuesday, October 17, the SETI Institute will unveil a new center to study life in the universe and a fund-raising strategy to counter NASA's proposed budget cuts for astrobiology research. From 10 to 11 a.m. at the SETI Institute in Mountain View, a distinguished panel of institute trustees and staff will announce the formation of the Carl Sagan Center for the Study of Life in the Universe. The center's activities will focus on astrobiology and be dedicated to the memory of planetary scientist and astronomer Carl Sagan. The panel will explain a new emphasis on fundraising from private sources to offset a proposed 50 percent budget cut by NASA for astrobiology research."

Posted by Keith Cowing at 1:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Within a climate of changing structure, leadership, and definition of Education and Public Outreach (E/PO) at NASA, NAI's E/PO Coordinator, Daniella Scalice, delivered a session on NAI's "NASA and the Navajo Nation" project this week at the 118th Annual Meeting of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific (ASP), co-hosted with the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, MD.

Continue reading "NAI Contributes to Discussions on Diversity at Astronomical Society of the Pacific Meeting" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 11:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Microbial Diversity in the Deep Sea and the Underexplored Rare Biosphere - Presenter: Julie Huber:
10/16/2006 11:00 AM PDT: The world's oceans are teeming with microscopic life forms. The staining of cells with DNA-binding dyes (DAPI and acridine orange) coupled with epifluorescence microscopy demonstrated that nominal cell densities exceed 105/ml of sea water.

Continue reading "Explore the "Rare Biosphere" with Julie Huber at the Oct 16 Director's Seminar" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 11:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

NASA HQ Internal Memo: John Rummel To Become Senior Scientist for Astrobiology at NASA SMD Planetary Sciences Division

"Taking Carl [Pilcher's] place will be Dr. John D. Rummel. As Senior Scientist for Astrobiology in SMD's Planetary Sciences Division, John will have overall program management responsibility for the Astrobiology Program, including the NAI and other activities in astrobiology and exobiology research and analysis, astrobiology instruments development, and programs to test and validate the performance of such instruments in a variety of analog field environments considered "extreme" for life on Earth."

Posted by Keith Cowing at 2:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Exotic Earths: Forming Habitable Worlds with Giant Planet Migration, Science

Earth-like Planets May Be More Common Than Once Thought, University of Colorado at Boulder

"More than one-third of the giant planet systems recently detected outside Earth's solar system may harbor Earth-like planets, many covered in deep oceans with potential for life, according to a new study."

Posted by Keith Cowing at 10:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Fall AGU Session: Biofilms in the environment: Adaptive roles, microbe-mineral interfaces, and contributions to global biogeochemical cycles

In most natural environments microbial communities are associated with surfaces in structures known as "biofilms". Numerous observations from terrestrial and marine subsurface settings, hot springs, and acidic mine drainage attest to the importance of the biofilm mode-of-life.

Continue reading "Fall AGU Session: Biofilms in the environment" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 11:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Kirsten Fristad's NASA Arctic Mars Analog Svalbard Expedition Field Reports

"I stand at the window looking out over Sassenfjord. Our trip has come to an end. The sky is cool and the mountains around Longyearbyen are dark in comparison to the white glaciers in the distance. I am exhausted from the late nights and early mornings of the expedition, but am completely overcome by the beauty of this place."

Recent Reports:

Continue reading "AMASE 2006 Updates" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 9:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Astrobiology August 2006 issue: Seasonal Changes and Ice Melt on Mars Explain Spider Formations on Martian Surface

"Dark spiders" on the surface of Mars might be explained by seasonal temperature changes that melt surface ice and salt, causing erosion, according to a provocative new theory presented in the August 2006 issue (Volume 6, Number 4) issue of Astrobiology"

Posted by Keith Cowing at 11:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Arctic Mars Analog Svalbard Expedition (AMASE) 2006, NASA

"In August, members of the Sample Analysis of Mars (SAM) Lab team will spend two and a half weeks in Svalbard. The objective of the Arctic Mars Analog Svalbard Expedition (AMASE) is to characterize the geology, geophysical features, biosignatures, and possible life forms of volcanic centers, warm springs, and perennial rivers, settings thought to be analogous to sites on ancient Mars. AMASE targets the Bockfjorden area of the Norwegian island of Svalbard, in hot-spring-deposited carbonate terraces."

Posted by Keith Cowing at 2:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Join us for the final two segments of the 2006 NAI Student Seminar Series on Friday August 11th and Friday August 18th at 12:00pm PDT (9:00am HT/1:00pm MDT/2:00pm CDT/3:00pm EDT). In this ninety minute program broadcast by NAI, students will be presenting their summer research from University of Rhode Island, University of Arizona and the SETI Institute. For more information, please contact Estelle Dodson, kdodson@mail.arc.nasa.gov

Continue reading "Astrobiology EPO, Undergrads, Grads, Postdocs The Student Seminar Series Continues" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 11:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

"The deadline for submission of abstracts for making presentations at the ASGSB (American Society for Gravitational and Space Biology) annual meeting in November has been extended to August 6. Any abstracts received after that will be too late for inclusion in the program. We look forward to seeing you in November and hearing about your recent work." [source: ASGSB]

Posted by Keith Cowing at 12:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Towards the end of our summer expedition while flying back to Eureka from our camp on Axel Heiberg, I spotted a lake with what appeared to be green ice on it.

Continue reading "Green ice, Ravens, Ice Caves and the Movie ‘Contact’" »

Posted by Dale Andersen at 6:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Mars Institute HMP Research Station Astrobiology Update 21 July 2006

Dr. Richard Léveillé, Visiting Fellow in astrobiology at the Canadian Space Agency: "The first question I am investigating is did impact-induced hydrothermal systems (i.e. hot springs created by the force of the impact) at Haughton support chemosynthetic microbial ecosystems? The second question I am trying to answer is what is the nature and origin of Mars-like minerals in ancient lake sediments found in the Haughton Crater?"

Posted by Keith Cowing at 1:01 AM | Permalink |