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)

Date/Time: Monday, January 30, 2011 11:00AM Pacific

Presenter: Paul Davies (Arizona State University)

Abstract: Cancer is widespread among eukaryotes, and can be successfully tackled only by understanding its place in the story of life itself - especially the evolution of multi-cellularity. In this seminar I will propose a new theory of cancer, drawing on insights from astrobiology. The central hypothesis is that cancer is an organized pre-programmed process driven by a cassette of highly conserved, deeply-evolved ancient genes - genes that are active in early-stage embryo development, and which become inappropriately re-awakened in the adult form. In effect, cancer tumors are atavisms, recapitulating an ancient life form - "Metazoa 1.0" - dating back to the dawn of multi-cellularity. This hypothesis differs fundamentally from the popular notion that cancers are deregulated rogue cells running amok, and explains cancer's well-known robustness and resilience. It also offers a well-defined target for therapy.

For more information and participation instructions visit: http://astrobiology.nasa.gov/nai/seminars/detail/199 . Participation requires only an Internet connection and a browser.

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

AbSciCon will be held April 16-20, 2012, in Atlanta, GA. I want to point out that there is a planetary cave session for those interested. The cave session is topic #5 under Extreme Environments.

Information to submit abstracts can be found at: http://abscicon2012.arc.nasa.gov/meeting-information/

Abstracts are due: 31 Jan 2012.

5.Session Family: Extreme Environments
Session Title: "Planetary Caves - Implications for Astrobiology,
Climate, Detection and Exploration"
Short title (for abstract submission): "Planetary Caves"

Description: The focus of this session is to promote the exchange of knowledge and ideas between planetary and terrestrial scientists interested in cave exploration and research across the solar system. Extraterrestrial caves provide access to the subsurface without the need for drilling and are potential habitats for previous or present life. In recognition of the broad scope, interdisciplinary nature, and strong international interest in this topic, the participation of any interested scientist with relevant theoretical, experimental, or field experience is strongly encouraged.

Organizer: Timothy Titus, ttitus@usgs.gov

Posted by Keith Cowing at 4:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

August 27-31, 2012, Beijing

Conference website:  www.ifa.hawaii.edu/iau293

We are pleased to announce that the abstract submission period has now opened, and we are accepting abstracts for oral and poster presentations. Please visit the abstract submission site at: http://ifa.hawaii.edu/iau293/abstract.html

Abstract deadline for contributed talks: March 31, 2012

Abstract deadline for posters: July 31, 2012

Note that the early registration deadline is February 29, 2012.

For question and more information contact Nader Haghighipour nader@ifa.hawaii.edu.

Posted by Keith Cowing at 12:19 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)

The 17th Cambridge Workshop on Cool Stars, Stellar Systems and the Sun (Cool Stars 17) will be held at the World Trade Center in Barcelona, Spain between June 24 - 29, 2012. The opening reception will be on Sunday evening, June 24. Science sessions will run from Monday, June 25 through Friday, June 29. The morning plenary sessions will focus on fundamental parameters and formation of cool stars and brown dwarfs, magnetic fields and activity, the solar-stellar connection and cool stars as exoplanet hosts. There will be afternoon splinter sessions on topics to be proposed by meeting attendees, as well as ample space and time for displaying and viewing posters.

For more information: http://www.coolstars17.net

Source: NAI Newsletter

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

The 2012 Gordon Research Conference on the Origin of Life will take place at the Hotel Galvez in Galveston, TX from January 8-13, 2012. This unique interdisciplinary meeting includes chemists, biologists, geologists, astronomers, physicists as well as scientists in related disciplines interested in the origin, and early evolution of Life on Earth and its possible distribution throughout the universe. The 2012 conference will feature recent and cutting-edge results, and sessions will address attempts to fabricate life or life-like systems in the laboratory, the search for extra-solar Earth like planets, recent developments in our understanding of the early history of Earth, Mars, and Titan, prebiotic and organic chemistry on the early Earth and elsewhere in the solar system, and reconstruction of early life forms and genomes, among other exciting topics.

We encourage young scientists, including graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, to attend. Special efforts will be made to promote interactions between invited speakers and junior participants and we expect to be able to provide some financial support to facilitate the latter's participation.
Applications for this meeting must be submitted by December 11, 2011. Please apply early, as we expect the meeting to become oversubscribed (full) before this deadline.

More information, including a full conference program, can be found on the conference website: http://www.grc.org/programs.aspx?year=2012&program=originlife.

Source: NAI Newsletter

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

Applications are currently being accepted for the Origin of Life Gordon Research Seminar (GRS). The Origin of Life GRS is a unique forum for graduate students, post-docs, and other scientists with comparable levels of experience and education to present and exchange new data and cutting edge ideas on origin of life research. The meeting will be held January 7th-8th at Hotel Galvez in Galveston TX, immediately preceding the Origin of Life Gordon Research Conference to be held January 8th - 13th at the same location. Participants in the Origin of Life Gordon Research Seminar are encouraged to participate in the associated Origin of Life Gordon Research Conference.

For more information please visit: http://www.grc.org/programs.aspx?year=2012&program=grs_origin

Posted by Keith Cowing at 9:36 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 currently being accepted for the Origin of Life Gordon Research Seminar (GRS). The Origin of Life GRS is a unique forum for graduate students, post-docs, and other scientists with comparable levels of experience and education to present and exchange new data and cutting edge ideas on origin of life research. The meeting will be held January 7th-8th at Hotel Galvez in Galveston TX, immediately preceding the Origin of Life Gordon Research Conference to be held January 8th - 13th at the same location. Participants in the Origin of Life Gordon Research Seminar are encouraged to participate in the associated Origin of Life Gordon Research Conference.

For more information please visit: http://www.grc.org/programs.aspx?year=2012&program=grs_origin

Source: NAI newsletter

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

Join us for the next NAI Director's Seminar! Please RSVP if your site will be joining.

Date/Time: Monday, September 26, 2011 11:00AM Pacific

Presenter: David Deamer (University of California, Santa Cruz)

Abstract: Although the physical environment that fostered primitive cellular life is still largely unconstrained, we can be reasonably confident that liquid water was required, together with a source of organic compounds and energy to drive polymerization reactions. There must also have been a process by which the compounds were sufficiently concentrated to undergo physical and chemical interactions. We are exploring self-assembly processes and polymerization reactions of organic compounds in natural hydrothermal environments and related laboratory simulations. We have found that macromolecules such as nucleic acids and proteins are readily encapsulated in membranous boundaries during wet-dry cycles such as those that would occur at the edges of hydrothermal springs in volcanic environments. The resulting structures are referred to as protocells, in that they exhibit certain properties of living cells and are models of the kinds of encapsulated macromolecular systems that would have led toward the first forms of cellular life. We have also determined that RNA-like polymers can be synthesized non-enzymatically from ordered arrays of mononucleotides in lipid microenvironments. We are now extending this approach to template-directed synthesis of DNA and RNA in which lipid-assisted polymerization serves as a model of an early stage of evolution toward an RNA World.

For more information and participation instructions: http://astrobiology.nasa.gov/nai/seminars/detail/194

Source: NAI newsletter

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

The 2012 Gordon Research Conference on Origin of Life will take place at the Hotel Galvez in Galveston, TX from January 8-13, 2012. This unique interdisciplinary meeting includes chemists, biologists, geologists, astronomers, physicists as well as scientists in related disciplines interested in the origin, and early evolution of Life on Earth and its possible distribution throughout the universe. The 2012 conference will feature recent and cutting-edge results, and sessions will address attempts to fabricate life or life-like systems in the laboratory, the search for extra-solar Earth like planets, recent developments in our understanding of the early history of Earth, Mars, and Titan, prebiotic and organic chemistry on the early Earth and elsewhere in the solar system, and reconstruction of early life forms and genomes, among other exciting topics.

We encourage young scientists, including graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, to attend. Special efforts will be made to promote interactions between invited speakers and junior participants and we expect to be able to provide some financial support to facilitate the latter's participation. Applications for this meeting must be submitted by December 11, 2011. Please apply early, as we expect the meeting to become oversubscribed (full) before this deadline. More information, including afullconferenceprogram,can be found on the conference website: http://www.grc.org/programs.aspx?year=2012&program=originlife.

Continue reading "2012 Gordon Research Conference on Origin of Life" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 3:22 PM | 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)

The TDE Focus Group will host a Workshop at the Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri (Galileo's House) in Florence (Italy), on September 12-14. Its main goal will be to discuss the submission of the proposals discussed in the previous Workshop in Madrid to either US or European Funding Opportunities.

Also it will be a good opportunity to exchange information face to face between the members of the Working Group.

We consider this meeting as critical to take advantage of upcoming funding opportunities, so please consider to join us in the wonderful city of Florence !!

Please the organizers would appreciate very much if you could send a notice of intention as soon as possible. You can send it to Javier Martin-Torres (javiermt@cab.inta-csic.es ).

Javier Martin-Torres
Michael Russell
Eugenio Simoncini

Posted by Keith Cowing at 5:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A case study of last year's Workshop without Walls on "Molecular Paleontology and Resurrection: Rewinding the Tape of Life." appears in the July 2011 issue of PLoS Biology. Authors include Betuel Arslan of the Georgia Tech team, Eric Boyd of the Montana State University team, and members of NAI Central.

Abstract:

The NASA Astrobiology Institute conducted two "Workshops Without Walls" during 2010 that enabled global scientific exchange--with no travel required. The second of these was on the topic "Molecular Paleontology and Resurrection: Rewinding the Tape of Life." Scientists from diverse disciplines and locations around the world were joined through an integrated suite of collaborative technologies to exchange information on the latest developments in this area of origin of life research. Through social media outlets and popular science blogs, participation in the workshop was broadened to include educators, science writers, and members of the general public. In total, over 560 people from 31 US states and 30 other nations were registered. Among the scientific disciplines represented were geochemistry, biochemistry, molecular biology and evolution, and microbial ecology. We present this workshop as a case study in how interdisciplinary collaborative research may be fostered, with substantial public engagement, without sustaining the deleterious environmental and economic impacts of travel.

For more information: http://www.plosbiology.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pbio.1001118

Posted by Keith Cowing at 1:51 AM | 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)

The next Astrobiology Science Conference will be held in Atlanta, GA from April 16-20, 2012. Sign up to receive conference updates at: http://abscicon2012.arc.nasa.gov/.

AbSciCon 2012 "Exploring Life: Past and Present, Near and Far" will address our current understanding of life, from processes at the molecular level to those that operate at planetary scales. Studying these aspects of life on Earth provides an essential platform to examine the potential for life within our solar system and beyond.

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

Teachers trekking to the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro in Africa stop to pose for the camera in a scene from the documentary Inspire Me: Africa.

On May 31, 2011, Brad McLain and Mike Marlow of the University of Colorado, Denver delivered the first Astrobiology Education and Training (AbET) Seminar, entitled StoryTeaching: An Exploration of the Importance of Story & Narrative in Science Learning.

Abstract:

Humans are natural storytellers. We describe our experiences in terms of story. We recount our history in terms of story. We learn new things and construct new understanding through the reframing of old stories and the forging of new ones. We even describe who we are--to ourselves and others--in terms of story. When applied to science learning and science communication, the concept of "story" represents a powerful framework for making STEM relevant, meaningful, and exciting. This talk will explore StoryTeaching as the intersection of two fields of study: (1) Science Identity Construction through Experiential Learning, and (2) the Narrative Study of Lives. We will discuss the formation, maintenance, and maturing of positive science identities in the face of an often science-hostile youth culture, and the significance of personal ownership and integration of STEM into an individual's sense of self though the processes of interpretation and meaning making inherent in story. StoryTeaching is currently a research topic and methodology used at the University of Colorado, Denver.

Resources from the seminar can be downloaded here: http://astrobiology.nasa.gov/articles/nai-storyteaching-seminar/

Posted by Keith Cowing at 12:37 AM | 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)

The deadline for abstract submittal for the ASGSB November 2011 meeting has been extended to Friday, September 2, 2011. To submit and abstract, please go to the following link: http://www.asgsb2011.org/index.php/call-for-abstracts.html.

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

A case study of last year's Workshop without Walls on "Molecular Paleontology and Resurrection: Rewinding the Tape of Life." appears in the July 2011 issue of PLoS Biology. Authors include Betuel Arslan of the Georgia Tech team, Eric Boyd of the Montana State University team, and members of NAI Central.

Abstract:

The NASA Astrobiology Institute conducted two "Workshops Without Walls" during 2010 that enabled global scientific exchange--with no travel required. The second of these was on the topic "Molecular Paleontology and Resurrection: Rewinding the Tape of Life." Scientists from diverse disciplines and locations around the world were joined through an integrated suite of collaborative technologies to exchange information on the latest developments in this area of origin of life research. Through social media outlets and popular science blogs, participation in the workshop was broadened to include educators, science writers, and members of the general public. In total, over 560 people from 31 US states and 30 other nations were registered. Among the scientific disciplines represented were geochemistry, biochemistry, molecular biology and evolution, and microbial ecology. We present this workshop as a case study in how interdisciplinary collaborative research may be fostered, with substantial public engagement, without sustaining the deleterious environmental and economic impacts of travel.

For more information: http://www.plosbiology.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pbio.1001118

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

The next Astrobiology Science Conference will be held in Atlanta, GA from April 16--20, 2012. Sign up to receive conference updates at: http://abscicon2012.arc.nasa.gov/. AbSciCon 2012 "Exploring Life: Past and Present, Near and Far" will address our current understanding of life, from processes at the molecular level to those that operate at planetary scales. Studying these aspects of life on Earth provides an essential platform to examine the potential for life within our solar system and beyond.

Posted by Keith Cowing at 8:02 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)

5/31 NAI AbET Seminar: Brad McLain, 'StoryTeaching: An Exploration of the Importance of Story & Narrative in Science Learning'

Join us for the first Astrobiology Education and Training Seminar!

Date/Time: Tuesday, May 31, 2011 10:00AM Pacific

Presenter: Brad McLain, University of Colorado, Denver

Abstract:

Humans are natural storytellers. We describe our experiences in terms of story. We recount our history in terms of story. We learn new things and construct new understanding through the reframing of old stories and the forging of new ones. We even describe who we are--to ourselves and others--in terms of story. When applied to science learning and science communication, the concept of "story" represents a powerful framework for making STEM relevant, meaningful, and exciting. This talk will explore StoryTeaching as the intersection of two fields of study: (1) Science Identity Construction through Experiential Learning, and (2) the Narrative Study of Lives. We will discuss the formation, maintenance, and maturing of positive science identities in the face of an often science-hostile youth culture, and the significance of personal ownership and integration of STEM into an individual's sense of self though the processes of interpretation and meaning making inherent in story. StoryTeaching is currently currently a research topic and methodology used at the University of Colorado, Denver.

Bio:

Brad McLain is an educational researcher and co-director of XSci at the University of Colorado, Denver. XSci is the Experiential Science Education Research Collaborative focused on research into STEM learning theory and the field of experiential learning. McLain's research focus is on science identity construction and the role of narrative (storytelling) in content understanding and personal meaning-making. He is also an accomplished documentary filmmaker and multimedia designer, having been the lead for several NSF and NASA projects over the past 10 years. Prior to joining the faculty at UCD, McLain was an educational researcher at the Space Science Institute, a multimedia instructional designer in the online learning industry, a NASA educational lead, and a social science researcher at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR). McLain's NASA experience began in 2001 as an education lead for space shuttle mission STS 107, Columbia's final flight which ended in tragedy. Following his stint on the human space flight side of NASA, he became in involved is several educational efforts in space science and astrobiology. He is also a long-time partner of the NASA Astrobiology Institute and has served as an NAI presenter, reviewer, and project development partner in both NASA and NSF funded astrobiology education projects. McLain lives in Boulder Colorado with his family of 2 kids, 2 dogs, 2 cats, and 1 wife.

Participation Instructions:

TO JOIN USING A VIDEOCONFERENCING SYSTEM:

Please RSVP to Marco Boldt (Marco.Boldt@nasa.gov) if you will be joining by Polycom.

To view the slides, connect to http://connect.arc.nasa.gov/storyteaching/

TO JOIN USING A WEB BROWSER:

The slides and audio/video for this meeting will be presented using Adobe Connect. To join the meeting, connect to:
http://connect.arc.nasa.gov/storyteaching/

Posted by Keith Cowing at 9:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Date/Time: Monday, May 23, 2011 11:00AM Pacific
Presenter: Mark Allen (Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Caltech)

Abstract: The ESA/NASA ExoMars/Trace Gas Orbiter (EMTGO) mission, with a planned launch in 2016, is based on a concept that can be traced back to the NAI. EMTGO is also the first truly international mission in which NASA is a participant; the contributions from ESA and NASA are closely intertwined. The primary objective of EMTGO is to characterize the chemical composition of the Martian atmosphere, particularly trace species that may be signatures of extant biological and/or geological processes, and its variability in space and time. It is hoped that these measurements, along with a good understanding of the contemporaneous atmospheric state, may allow localization of the surface source(s) of the "exotic" trace gases. The international science payload selected for this mission has the capability to inventory the atmospheric composition with more sensitivity than has flown on previous deep space planetary missions. One measure of this capability is the ability to detect three cows on Mars belching methane. Several of the NAI principal investigators and co-investigators are members of the payload science teams.

Participation Instructions:

TO JOIN USING A VIDEOCONFERENCING SYSTEM: Please RSVP to Marco Boldt (Marco.Boldt@nasa.gov) if you will be joining by Polycom. To view the slides, connect to http://connect.arc.nasa.gov/nai_directors_seminar/

TO JOIN USING A WEB BROWSER: The slides and audio/video for this meeting will be presented using Adobe Connect. To join the meeting, connect to: http://connect.arc.nasa.gov/nai_directors_seminar/

Posted by Keith Cowing at 12:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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) must overcome traditional disciplinary barriers and integrate their tools and perspectives. 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 10:08 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)

Jay Kaufman 'Irreversible Oxidation of the Exosphere and Acceleration of the Biosphere Across the Archean-paleoproterozoic Transition'

Join us for the next NAI Director's Seminar!

Date/Time: Monday, April 25, 2011 11:00AM Pacific

Presenter: Jay Kaufman (University of Maryland)

Abstract:

Around two and half billion years ago a harmonic convergence of tectonic, volcanic, oceanographic, atmospheric, and biological events resulted in the irreversible oxidation of Earth's thin crust and surface environments. Lithological and geochemical evidence of this terrestrial metamorphosis - which stimulated global environmental, climatic, and biological innovations - is preserved in sedimentary archives sampled in outcrop and deep time drill cores from ancient continental fragments scattered about the globe. Recent time-series investigations of geochemical change in the shallow Archean and Paleoproterozoic oceans predict stepwise growth in atmospheric oxygen and ozone, the planetary sunscreen, and in seawater nitrate and sulfate, which sustain key microbial ecosystems. In this evolutionary seminar we will explore the possible sources and sinks of oxygen on the early Earth and the effect of its geologically sudden rise (coined by Dick Holland as the Great Oxidation Event or GOE) on weathering, climate, and the onset of a modern-style carbon cycle. Participation Instructions:

TO JOIN USING A VIDEOCONFERENCING SYSTEM:

Please RSVP to Marco Boldt (Marco.Boldt@nasa.gov) if you will be joining by Polycom. To view the slides, connect to http://connect.arc.nasa.gov/nai_directors_seminar/

TO JOIN USING A WEB BROWSER:

The slides and audio/video for this meeting will be presented using Adobe Connect. To join the meeting, connect to: http://connect.arc.nasa.gov/nai_directors_seminar/

Posted by Keith Cowing at 10:32 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)

May 12-13, 2011

A two-day workshop using NAI remote communications tools will be held on May 12th and 13th, 2011. Organized by Chris Dupont of the J. Craig Venter Institute, along with John Peters and Ariel Anbar, leaders of the Montana State University and Arizona State University NAI teams, respectively.

Anticipated presentation topics include:

* Spatial and temporal dynamics of ocean redox chemistry
* Molecular biomarkers: biological role and usage as a proxy
* The evolution of phytoplankton
* The last universal common ancestor
* Applications of synthetic biology in paleobiology
* Modern day analogs of ancient environments
* The evolution of metabolic pathways

The workshop will consist of talks and discussion. Each presentation will allow ample time for questions and answers afterwards. Although talks will be recorded and posted online at scivee.tv, we encourage researchers to attend in real time to engage in what we expect will be a lively exchange of ideas during the workshop.

While many of the speakers have been confirmed, time has been set aside for four to six shorter contributed talks. Travel and hotel costs will be covered for those giving contributed talks. In addition, it is anticipated that funds for several more travel grants will be available. If interested in attending or giving a contributed talk, please email Chris Dupont (cdupont@jcvi.org) your contact information and an abstract or reason for attending. Selection of talks and travel grants will begin April 1st. Preference will be given to younger scientists.

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

Source: NAI Newsletter

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

Date/Time: Monday, March 28, 2011 11:00AM Pacific
Presenter: George Cody (Carnegie Institution of Washington)

Abstract:

Primitive bodies in the Solar System contain relatively large quantities of refractory organic macromolecular material. A lack of consensus exists as to the ultimate origin of these extraterrestrial organic solids stemming largely from the fact that throughout the Galaxy there exist many regions were extensive organo-synthesis occurs. Origins theories span from the lowest temperatures in the Interstellar Medium up to 1000 K in the inner Solar System. The best constraint on the origin of refractory organic solids is obtained by detailed studies of the organic material directly. Using advanced spectroscopic techniques we have identified a plausible source for these organic solids and show that the organic solids in both comets and carbonaceous chondrites share a common origin. The broader implications of these results, both in terms of our understanding of the early history of primitive Solar System objects and the origin of life on Earth, will be discussed.

For more information and participation instructions: http://astrobiology.nasa.gov/nai/seminars/detail/190

Source: NAI Newsletter

Posted by Keith Cowing at 10:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

April 1-2, 2011

A two-day symposium using NASA Astrobiology Institute (NAI) remote communications tools, on "The Ribosome: Structure, Function & Evolution," will be held on April 1-2, 2011. Real-time participation requires only an internet connection and is available to interested scientists from around the world. A chat area will be hosted by graduate students and post docs of Georgia Tech's Ribo Evo Center, to facilitate remote interaction during the symposium. More details, including connection and registration information, is available at the meeting website given below.

The 2011 Suddath Symposium on the Ribosome at Georgia Tech brings together researchers who are exploring various aspects of ribosome structure and function. The ribosome is a molecular machine that is responsible for protein synthesis in all living cells. This indispensable component of life, which contains both RNA and proteins, can be viewed as a molecular fossil. That is, the comparison of ribosomal RNA and proteins from distantly related organisms suggests that the origins and evolution of protein synthesis remain imprinted in present day ribosomes, providing a "rewindable" molecular recording of early evolution that appears to go all the way back to the origin of life.

Because the ribosome is central to the biochemistry of all life, it is a major target for drug development. For example, the mode of action of many antibiotics is to inhibit translation or cause bacterial ribosome to make mistakes during protein synthesis. Due to differences between bacterial and eukaryotic ribosomes, the result of billions of years of divergent evolution, drugs can be highly effective against bacterial ribosomes without causing appreciable side effects in human cells. Thus, studies of ribosome structure, function and evolution have scientific implications ranging from understanding the origin and early evolution of life to the development of novel pharmaceuticals.

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

Posted by Keith Cowing at 6:07 PM | 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)

Annual Meeting of the AOGS (Asia-Oceania Geosciences Society)
Taipei, Taiwan August 8-12, 2011
Abstract deadline: March 15, 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 & geochemical characterization of extreme environments.

(4) habitability of extraterrestrial atmospheres, surfaces & interiors.

(5) methods or technological approaches for detecting biosignatures.

Contact: Dr. Louise Prockter (Johns Hopkins University, United States) louise.prockter@jhuapl.edu

Posted by Keith Cowing at 12:06 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)

Join us today for the Center for Collaboration Science and Applications (CCSA) Colloquium, "Smuggler's Guide to Innovation - Why and How Organizational Actors Use Clandestine Ways to Get Their Ideas Accepted in the Organization"

Speaker: Tea Lempiaelae, Aalto University, Finland

Date: Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Time: 4:00-5:00 PM

Location: Carnegie Mellon Silicon Valley, NASA Ames Research Center, Building 23 Room 109/110, Moffett Field, CA. http://www.cmu.edu/silicon-valley/about-us/directions.html

Bio: Tea Lempiaelae is a researcher and project manager at Innovation Management Institute, Aalto University, Finland. Her research examines innovation in organizations; more specifically the ways in which ideas are generated and developed collaboratively. The focus of her work is on the practices of innovation, i.e. the common patterns of action among organization members. She uses qualitative inquiry, such as observations and interviews, to tap into the micro-level practices located inside the innovation process. Tea will defend her dissertation in the summer at the School of Economics, Aalto University. The dissertation examines on the barriers of innovativeness in organization by identifying four tensions between the front stage and the backstage of innovation which pose hindrances to innovative activity. She is also managing a four-year research project examining the ways in which organizations can better support the innovativeness of their employees.

Center for Collaboration Science and Applications (CCSA) http://www.cmu.edu/silicon-valley/ccsa

Mission Statement:

* To be a center of excellence in pioneering collaboration as a scientific investigation integrating multiple disciplines
* To provide state of the art expertise and recommendations for projects, missions and teams doing collaborative work
* To create, evaluate and implement collaborative systems, social protocols and procedures
* To provide open environments for the investigation and application of collaborative technologies

Posted by Keith Cowing at 12:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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)

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)

The First Undergraduate Planetary Science Research Conference will be held on Sunday, March 6, 2011 from 9:00 am to 5:00pm, in association with the 2011 Lunar and Planetary Science Conference (LPSC), The Woodlands, TX.

The Conference includes:

* Panels on "How to Choose the Grad School Right for You," "Alternative Careers in Science," and "Women in Planetary Science;"
* Poster sessions where students will present their posters to other students and to the scientific community;
* "Meeting Mentors" who will pair students with a scientist for part of the LPSC meeting, so students can learn how to engage at a scientific conference;
* Opportunities to meet other undergraduate researchers, graduate students, and scientists.

Undergraduate students currently conducting research in planetary sciences, astrobiology and lunar sciences are eligible.

To apply, please go to: http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/yssurc2011/ Applications are due: Close of Business, February, 1, 2011

Some travel support will be available to students who qualify. Priority will be given to students of diverse backgrounds. Students are encouraged to attend LPSC and the travel support includes registration for and participation in LPSC. For additional information, please contact Dr. Emily CoBabe-Ammann at ecobabe@spaceeducation.org. This conference, the "Year of the Solar System" Undergraduate Planetary Science Research Conference is supported by the NASA Science Mission Directorate, the NASA Lunar Science Institute, and the NASA Astrobiology Program. [Source: NAI Newsletter]

Posted by Keith Cowing at 3:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The next meeting of the Committee on the Origins and Evolution of Life (COEL) will be held March 2-4, 2011 at the Keck Center in Washington, D.C. COEL is the standing committee of the Space Studies Board that organizes and provides oversight of studies on research opportunities and programs on the origin and evolution of life in the universe, including NASA's astrobiology program. As usual, most of the committee's sessions are open to the community.

For more information, see http://sites.nationalacademies.org/SSB/ssb_052326 or contact COEL's Senior Program Officer, David H. Smith (DSmith@nas.edu). [Source: NAI Newsletter]

Posted by Keith Cowing at 11:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Saturday February 19th, 2011 is the Deadline for collection of abstracts and travel grants applications for Origins 2011 in Montpelier, France, July 3-8, 2011. Come and be a part of this cutting edge conference as the ISSOL (International Society for the Study of the Origin of Life) and Bioastronomy communities provide oral and poster platforms of exchange with strong focus on young researchers and the global, diverse astrobiology community. For more information: http://www.origins2011.univ-montp2.fr/ [Source: NAI Newsletter]

Posted by Keith Cowing at 10:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Date/Time: Monday, February 7, 2011 11:00AM Pacific
Burckhard Seelig (University of Minnesota)

Abstract: Life on Earth today crucially depends on the workings of proteins. Current proteins are highly sophisticated polypeptides that exhibit intricate structures and facilitate a multitude of complex functions. Although the level of protein sophistication can be explained as a result of continuing Darwinian evolution from simpler predecessors, the origin of those early functional proteins is not well understood.

We are interested in studying potential scenarios of the emergence of those first primordial proteins. This presentation will describe an experimental approach to investigate the probability of finding functional proteins in mixtures of naive random peptides. Towards this goal, collections of several trillion different protein mutants are subjected to a procedure of selection and evolution in a test tube to isolate functional proteins. In one example, novel ATP binding proteins were identified that appear to be unrelated to any known ATP binding proteins. In a second study, novel enzymes were generated that can join two pieces of RNA together in a reaction for which no natural enzymes are known.

These results not only allow us to measure the occurrence of function in random protein assemblies but also provide experimental evidence for the possibility of alternative protein worlds. Extant proteins might simply represent a 'frozen accident' in the world of possible proteins. Alternative collections of proteins, even with similar functions, could originate alternative evolutionary paths.

For more information and participation instructions: http://astrobiology.nasa.gov/nai/seminars/detail/188 [Source: NAI Newsletter]

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

Exclusive Interview: Discoverer of Arsenic Bacteria, in the Eye of the Storm, Science Now

"Q: So, NASA approached you about doing a press conference, and you thought that was a good idea? F.W.-S.: I wouldn't say I thought it was a good or bad idea. I'd never been to a press conference, but it made good sense to me that my mom should know what I'd been up to, and I love teaching. So, it made sense to me at that level, in terms of, again, bringing what we did to the public. But we weren't clearly prepared, in terms of understanding how it might be, again, with the new types of media that are really rather amazing, what was exactly going to happen."

Earlier posts

Posted by Keith Cowing at 9:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

NASA announces its intent to participate in the 62nd International Astronautical Congress, or IAC, and requests that full-time graduate students attending U.S. universities or colleges respond to this "Call for Abstracts." The IAC -- which is organized by the International Astronautical Federation, or IAF; the International Academy of Astronautics, or IAA; and the International Institute of Space Law, or IISL, -- is the largest space-related conference worldwide and selects an average of 1000 scientific papers every year. The upcoming IAC will be held Oct. 3-7, 2011, in Cape Town, South Africa. NASA's participation in this event is an ongoing effort to continue to connect NASA with the astronautical and space international community.

This "Call for Abstracts" is a precursor to a subsequent submission of a final paper, which may be presented at the 62nd IAC. Student authors are invited to submit an abstract regarding an original, unpublished paper that has not been submitted in any other forum. A NASA technical review panel of scientists and/or officials will select abstracts. Many students and professors are involved in NASA-related research. Persons submitting abstracts are strongly encouraged to seek advice from professors who are conducting NASA research and/or from NASA scientists and engineers.

Abstract Preparation

-- Abstracts must be 400 words or less.
-- Abstracts must be written in English.
-- Abstracts cannot include formulas, tables or drawings.
-- Select the symposium and session in which you wish to post your abstract. Please view the IAC brochure at http://iac2011.com/sites/default/files/pdf/iac2011-call-for-papers.pdf for list of sessions and more details.

Abstracts must be related to NASA's ongoing vision for space exploration and fit into one of the following categories:

-- Science and Exploration
-- Systems sustaining missions including life, microgravity, space exploration, space debris and Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence, or SETI.
-- Applications and Operations
-- Ongoing and future operational applications, including Earth observation, communication, navigation, human space endeavors and small satellites.
-- Technology
-- Common technologies to space systems including astrodynamics, structures, power and propulsion.
-- Infrastructures
-- Systems sustaining space missions including space systems, transportation, future systems and safety.
-- Space and Society
-- Interaction of space with society including education, policy and economics, history, and law.

The full text of the abstract must be submitted electronically in the prescribed format at http://iac.nasaprs.com no later than 11:59:59 p.m. EST on Feb. 7, 2011.

If you have a question or concern about the programmatic or the electronic submission of your abstract, please e-mail abstract@nasaprs.com, and you will receive a response within two (2) business days.

Posted by Keith Cowing at 6:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Universite Cadi Ayyad, Ibn Battuta Centre, Marrakech, Morocco

Joint ESA/NASA Workshop and Field Trip
February 7-9, 2011

ABSTRACT DEADLINE JANUARY 7th

Conveners:
Charles Cockell (Open University, UK),
Oliver Angerer (ESA),
Mary Voytek (NASA),
Gian Gabriele Ori (IRSPS, Italy and Ibn Battuta Centre, Morocco),
Kamal Taj-Eddine (Universite Cady Ayyad and Ibn Battuta Centre, Morocco)

Geobiology in Space Exploration is a meeting of talks and discussions to understand the full range of the contributions of geobiology to robotic and human space exploration, from life detection to practical applications of geobiology and geomicrobiology. Its purpose is to develop a road map of geobiology for future space missions. It is co-organised by the ESA Topical Team: Geomicrobiology for Space Settlement and Exploration.

Topics to be covered at the meeting include:

1) microbe-mineral interactions, biosignatures and the search for life elsewhere,

2) use of microorganisms in practical applications in space exploration,

3) space missions involving aspects of geobiology.

4) analog sites for the study of other planetary environments.

The meeting will begin midday on Monday 7th and will finish on Wednesday February 9th and will be held at the Universite Cadi Ayyad (Morocco). The meeting will then be followed by a voluntary field trip for interested participants to investigate geomicrobiology and geology from Precambrian to Quaternary in the Atlas Mountains.

The output of this workshop will be a document/paper setting out directions and potential in geobiology applied to space.

Visit http://www.irsps.unich.it/education/geoexp2011/ for further information.

Posted by Keith Cowing at 9:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The 2011 Gordon Research Conference on the Origins of Solar Systems will take place at Mt. Holyoke College in South Hadley, MA 17-22 July 2011. This unique interdisciplinary meeting includes astronomers and astrophysicists interested in star and planet formation, planetary scientists and cosmochemists interested in the early history, structure, and evolution of the Solar System, as well as scientists in related disciplines. By bringing together this mix of expertise the conference attempts to address fundamental questions that are not tractable within the confines of just one discipline. Our goal is to understand whether planetary systems like our own, and the potential for habitability that they represent are the exception or the rule in the Milky Way galaxy.

The focus of the 2011 meeting (the 11th since this series began twenty years ago) will be "Composition of Forming Planets: A Tool to Understand Processes". Topics covered will include: 1) the initial conditions for planet formation in circumstellar disks, including estimates of solar nebula composition from the Genesis mission; 2) the evolution of the physical structure of the gas and dust from which planets form; 3) progress in our theoretical understanding of the major physical processes that control planet formation; 4) the interplay between disk dynamics and disk chemistry in determining the composition of forming planets including new results from the Herschel Space Telescope; 5) meteoritic constraints on the physical and chemical conditions in the solar nebula; 6) the role of giant impacts in the structure and evolution of forming planets; 7) satellites and rings of giant planets as mini-laboratories to study the process of planet formation; 8) current census of extra-solar planets including new results from the Kepler and COROT missions as well as other facilities; 9) the essential chemical conditions for life and whether those are readily obtained through our current understanding of planet formation; and many other topics.

The conference will continue the usual format of invited lectures, extended discussion, and poster sessions. The meeting provides an excellent opportunity for young researchers to present their latest research results and to participate in the dynamic informal conversations that are typical of a Gordon Conference. We encourage young scientists, including graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, to attend. Special efforts will be made to promote interactions between invited speakers and junior participants and we expect to provide some financial support to facilitate the latter's participation.

For more information please visit the Gordon Research Conference website: http://www.grc.org/ [Source: NAI Newsletter]

Posted by Keith Cowing at 10:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Date/Time: Monday, December 6, 2010 11:00AM Pacific
Presenter: Elizaveta Bonch-Osmolovskaya (Russian Academy of Sciences)

Abstract: Anaerobic thermophilic lithoautotrophic microorganisms inhabiting volcanic environments use inorganic energy substrates, electron acceptors and a carbon source of geothermal origin - performing, therefore, as primary producers in such ecosystems.

From the hot springs of Kamchatka Peninsula (Russia) strains of a new hyperthermophilic bacterium growing optimally at 80*C were isolated, and described as a novel genus and species Caldimicrobium rimae. This organism belongs to the Thermodesulfobacteria phylum and it can grow lithoautotrophically with molecular hydrogen reducing elemental sulfur or thiosulfate. Strains of C. rimae are also capable of oxidizing volatile fatty acids and alcohols - the fermentation products of organotrophic hyperthermophilic Archaea and Bacteria.

Another new isolate - Thermosulfurimonas dismutans, also representing a new genus in phylum Thermodesulfobacteria, was obtained from the deep-sea hydrothermal samples of Lau Basin, Pacific Ocean. This newly-identified organism is an obligate lithoatotroph growing at 92*C on a mineral medium by dismutation of sulfur compounds - elemental sulfur or thiosulfate, during which one molecule is oxidized to sulfate and another reduced to sulfide. The growth is obligately dependent on the presence of ferric oxide in the medium, which binds sulfide formed in the course of growth, maintaining its low concentration in the medium.

Carbon monoxide (CO) is a usual component of volcanic gases, both in terrestrial and submarine hot springs. The ability to grow anaerobically at 100% CO in the gas phase producing molecular hydrogen and CO2 was found to be widely spread among thermophilic prokaryotes - bacteria of phylum Firmicutes and members of the archaeal genus Thermococcales. However, if the concentration of CO in the gas phase was 5 to 45%, the range of microorganisms capable of hydrogenogenic CO-trophy became much wider. Among new organisms capable of this type of metabolism are hyperthermophilic bacteria of the Dyctioglomy phylum and the hyperthermophilic crenarchaeote Thermofilum lithoautotrophicus.

Formate can be formed abiotically in hydrothermal environments in the course of serpentinization reactions. We found that some representatives of the hyperthermophilic archaeal genus Thermococcus can grow on formate producing molecular hydrogen. The energy yield of this reaction was previously considered insufficient to support microbial growth.

These and other newly-identified thermophilic lithoautotrophic microorganisms able to use energy substrates, electron acceptors and a carbon source of geothermal origin can act as the base of a microbial food web that is not dependent on either solar energy, or of the modern biosphere. Such communities could be regarded as modern analogues of early Earth or extraterrestrial ecosystems.

For more information and participation instructions: http://astrobiology.nasa.gov/nai/seminars/detail/186 [Source: NAI Newsletter]

Posted by Keith Cowing at 10:44 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)

Date/Time: Wednesday, December 1, 2010 11:00AM Pacific
Presenter: David Gilichinsky (Russian Academy of Sciences)

Abstract: The terrestrial cryosphere is the only widespread and rich depository of viable ancient organisms on Earth. The age of the isolates corresponds to the longevity of the frozen state of the embedding strata, with the oldest known dating back to the late Pliocene. If life ever existed on frozen extraterrestrial bodies such as Mars, traces might have been preserved and could be found at depth within Martian ice or permafrost. Permafrost on Earth and Mars vary in age, from a few million years on Earth to a few billion years on Mars. Such a difference in time scale would have a significant impact on the possibility of preserving life on Mars, which is why the longevity of life forms preserved within terrestrial permafrost can only be considered an approximate model for Mars.

I will focus on one of the terrestrial environments which are close to Mars in age - active volcanoes in permafrost areas. Here the age of volcanic deposits frozen after eruption is much younger than the age of surrounding permafrost. The same processes (past eruptions of Martian volcanoes) periodically burned through the frozen strata and formed the thermal and water oases. Simultaneously, products of eruptions (lava, rock debris, scoria, ash) rose from the depths to the surface and froze. The age of these frozen volcanic deposits is thus much younger than the age of the surrounding permafrost. Images taken by the High Resolution Stereo Camera on board the ESA Mars Express mission discovered young volcanoes 2-15 Myr old on Mars. In other words, the age of the youngest Martian volcanoes date back to the age of volcanoes on Earth.

Culture- and culture-independent methods show the presence of viable thermophilic and hyperthermophilic bacteria and their genes within pyroclastic frozen material on Earth. These bacteria and archeae have not been found in permafrost outside the areas of active volcanism. The presence of thermophilic communities in frozen ash and scoria raise questions about the origin of these microorganisms and their life style in such environments. The only way for thermophiles to get into frozen pyroclastic material is through deposition during eruption. In other words, catastrophic geological events may transport thermophiles from the depths to the surface and these thermophiles may survive at subzero temperatures.

Such terrestrial microbial communities might serve as a model for Mars, particularly for young Martian volcanoes that date back to ages close to those for terrestrial volcanoes. To explore these hypotheses we are characterizing different volcanic microbial communities on Earth within volcanic permafrost. One such area of active volcanism is the Klyuchevskaya Volcano Group (55*'N, 160*E) on the Kamchatka Peninsula in the Russian Far-East, where mountainous permafrost predominates from the elevations ~1000 m asl and up. I will describe our studies of microorganisms isolated from this area.

For more information and participation instructions: http://astrobiology.nasa.gov/nai/seminars/detail/184 [Source: NAI Newsletter]

Posted by Keith Cowing at 10:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

7-14 February 2011
Marrakech, Morocco
Abstract Submission Deadline: 7 January 2011
Sponsored by the European Space Agency (ESA) Topical Team, Geomicrobiology for Space Settlement and Exploration.

Organizers: Charles Cockell (Open University, UK), Oliver Angerer (ESA), Gian Gabriele Ori (IRSPS, Italy and Ibn Battuta Centre, Morocco), Kamal Taj-Eddine (Universite Cady Ayyad and Ibn Battuta Centre, Morocco)

Geobiology in Space Exploration will be a meeting with talks and discussions that aim to cover the full range of the contributions of geobiology to space exploration and settlement. It will have two core purposes: 1) To contribute to building the community of people working in geobiology and applying the discipline to themes in space sciences and exploration; and 2) To develop a strategic document on the range of geobiology applications and possible space missions for ESA. The meeting will begin midday on Monday the 7th and will finish on Wednesday the 9th and will be held at the Universite Cadi Ayyad (Morocco). The meeting will then be followed by a voluntary field trip for interested participants.

Continue reading "Workshop and Fieldtrip: Geobiology in Space Exploration" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 11:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

26-28 January 2011
Utrecht, The Netherlands
Abstract Submission Deadline: 1 December 2010

This symposium will cover topics related to large-scale oceanic anoxic events, including causes and effects, biotic response, chemistry, and biogeochemical cycling, age and climate models, and present-day and future Earth in the scope of the Cretaceous experience. Organizers: Poppe de Boer (pdeboer@geo.uu.nl); Caroline Slomp (Slomp@geo.uu.nl); Henk Brinkhuis (H.Brinkhuis@uu.nl). Contact Ms. Marjolein Mullen (m.mullen@uu.nl) for additional instructions. [Source: NAI]

Posted by Keith Cowing at 11:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

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)

6-8 December 2010
Brussels, Belgium
Abstract Submission Deadline: 15 November 2010

The European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) Program supports cooperation among scientists and researchers across Europe. It sponsors "actions" to bring researchers together to build cooperative networks and improve scientific collaboration and awareness. Action CM-0805, "The Chemical Cosmos", provides for the study of chemical processes relevant to the physical conditions encountered in the interstellar medium, and on the surface and in the atmospheres of planetary bodies. The Action aims to provide new insights into the dynamics of the chemical reactions leading to molecular synthesis under such conditions and reveal how these are influenced by the ambient temperature and pressure. Special attention is given to the study of the novel surface chemistry prevalent on interstellar medium dust grains and planetary surfaces. The Action also aims to combine such laboratory data with complementary chemical models to allow a fuller interpretation of observational data. More information on the COST program can be found on http://www.cost.eu/domains_actions/cmst/Actions/the_chemical_cosmos.
Additional details concerning Action CM-0805 can be found at: http://cost.astrochemistry.eu/ . A preliminary Workshop Program can be found at: http://www.busoc.eu/cost/programme.php.
For further information, contact Dr Christian Muller, B.USOC, Brussels, christian.muller@busoc.be, or Dr. Frank Daerden, BIRA, Brussels, frank.daerden@aeronomie.be. [Source: NAI]

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

A three-day workshop using NASA Astrobiology Institute (NAI) remote communications tools, on "Molecular Paleontology and Resurrection: Rewinding the Tape of Life," will be held on 8, 9 & 10 November 2010. Real-time participation requires only an internet connection and is available to interested scientists from around the world. Participants will discuss "top down" origin of life research, which will ultimately allow us to rewind the evolutionary record of biochemical processes and assemblies.

Organized by John Peters and Loren Williams, PIs of the NAI's Montana State University and Georgia Tech teams, a primary goal of the workshop is to foster new interdisciplinary collaborations across the community.

Session topics will include

* Phylogenetic Studies on Key Enzymes Involved in Information Pathways and Metabolism
* The Evolutionary History of Protein Synthesis
* Minerals to Enzymes, Bridging the Gap Between Metal-Based Abiotic and Biological Chemistry
* Phylogenetic Reconstruction/Resurrection, A Glimpse into Extinct Biochemistry
* What Can Modern Biological Energy Transformation Systems Tell Us About Conditions on the Early Earth?
* Linking the Evolutionary Record to the Geological Record

The workshop is open to the worldwide science community and is accessible via internet browser. To receive information on how to connect to the workshop, register on the NAI website: http://astrobiology.nasa.gov/nai/ool-www/ . [Source: NAI]

Posted by Keith Cowing at 10:33 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)

- 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)

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 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)

11-29 October 2010, Sponsored by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. This offering is free for all participants and will be available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. More Information: http://www.coexploration.org/oe-dse/ The three-week online professional development offering, Lessons from the Deep: Exploring the Gulf of Mexico's Deep-Sea Ecosystems, is a selection of lessons about deep-sea ecosystems in the Gulf of Mexico based on ten ocean exploration expeditions sponsored by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA's) Office of Exploration and Research (OER) between 2002 and 2009. Some of these sites are within a few miles of the Deepwater Horizon well. Additional background information will be introduced to participants about the unique geology of the region and behavior of oil in seawater. The purpose of this professional development offering is to:

* Provide a foundation for student inquiries into the unique deep-sea ecosystems of the Gulf of Mexico, with particular focus on deep-sea corals and cold seep ecosystems and the importance of these ecosystems;
* Provide an understanding of the technologies used to investigate these ecosystems; and
* Build capabilities for comparing data from past OER expeditions with new information from ongoing research in the Gulf.
The event will have:
* Keynote Addresses from renowned ocean explorers who have made significant contributions to scientific knowledge of deep-sea ecosystems in the Gulf of Mexico.
* Discussions with these scientists and NOAA staff
* Lesson Plans (16) and other resources for educators

Workshop components include online spaces for discussions to further professional development, a collection of resources, discussion rooms for Keynoter speakers to interact with participants, and discussion rooms for teachers of different classroom levels. [Source: NAI]

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

Meeting Dates: December 13-17, 2010
Abstract Submission Deadline: September 2, 2010.

The following is a list of some of the astrobiology-related sessions that will be held at the 2010 AGU fall meeting. For more information and to submit an abstract: http://www.agu.org/meetings/fm10/program/abstract_submissions.php

Continue reading "Call for Abstracts: Astrobiology Related Sessions at the 2010 AGU Fall Meeting" »

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

Abstract Submission Deadline: August 10, 2010

2010 Geological Society of America National Meeting: T110, Mountain Formation and Landscape Evolution in the Solar System: Implications for the Origin of Life.

Organizers: Joseph Kula, Suzanne L. Baldwin

Session Summary: Terrestrial mountain formation in the solar system is related to thermal decay, tectonics, and impact events. The processes and timescales of landscape evolution will be explored with implications for the origin and search for life.

For more information: http://geosociety.org/meetings/2010/sessions/topical.asp?SponsorID=GSA+Planetary+Geology+Division

Posted by Keith Cowing at 9:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Join us for the second in a series of NASA Astrobiology Postdoctoral Program (NPP) seminars!

Date/Time: Monday, July 12th, 11am Pacific Time
Title: "Impact Bombardments on Early Earth and Mars: Implications for Habitability"
Speaker: Oleg Abramov, University of Colorado, Boulder

Abstract: Lunar rocks and impact melts, lunar and asteroidal meteorites, and an ancient martian meteorite record thermal metamorphic events with ages that group around and/or do not exceed 3.9 Gyr. That such a diverse suite of solar system materials share this feature is interpreted to be the result of a post-primary-accretion cataclysmic spike in the number of impacts commonly referred to as the late heavy bombardment (LHB). We report numerical models constructed to probe the degree of thermal metamorphism in the crust in the effort to recreate the effect of the LHB on the Earth and Mars; outputs were used to assess habitable volumes of crust for possible near-surface and subsurface primordial microbial biospheres. Our analysis shows that there is no plausible situation in which the habitable zone was fully sterilized on Earth and Mars, at least since the termination of primary accretion of the planets and the postulated impact origin of the Moon. Our results explain the root location of hyperthermophilic bacteria in the phylogenetic tree for 16S small-subunit ribosomal RNA, and bode well for the persistence of microbial biospheres even on planetary bodies strongly reworked by impacts. In fact, on Mars, the LHB may have been very beneficial for habitability by generating widespread hydrothermal activity, releasing water vapor into atmosphere, and likely temporarily changing global climate to a warmer and wetter state.

For more information and connection information: http://astrobiology.nasa.gov/nai/seminars/detail/178

Source: NAI Newsletter

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

Researchers from around the world participated in the first NAI Workshop Without Walls in March 2010--with no travel required. The workshop, on "The Organic Continuum from the Interstellar Medium to the Early Solar System," was organized by George Cody and Doug Whittet, PIs of the NAI's Carnegie Institution of Washington and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute teams, respectively. Drawing registrants from 21 US States and 16 other countries, the workshop was a great success in terms of the scientific knowledge exchanged, and as an illustration of the maturity of the NAI's suite of collaborative tools.

We have the technology! - and now we're ready for the next round of topics and organizers. NAI Central will offer full support for the technical production of a workshop, so that organizers can focus on the scientific content. George and Doug have offered their support to future workshop organizers to pass on their advice and lessons learned.

There are some significant advantages to organizing a "virtual" workshop compared to a typical in-person workshop. The timeline for producing the first Workshop Without Walls was just six weeks, from the issuance of the call for abstracts to the workshop itself--and could be even shorter for future workshops if desired. A Workshop Without Walls could be organized very quickly around a breaking discovery, for example. Carbon footprint is low and the fact that the workshop is accessible from anywhere in the world via the internet encourages broad international participation. One hundred percent of participants replying to a survey after the first workshop said they would attend future workshops of this kind.

If you're interested in organizing a Workshop Without Walls, have new ideas about how to use the NAI collaborative tools to advance science, or would simply like to know more, please contact Wendy Dolci (Wendy.W.Dolci@nasa.gov).

For more information on the first Workshop Without Walls: http://tinyurl.com/2blm5s3

Source: NAI Newsletter

Posted by Keith Cowing at 9:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

All Kepler Mission science results, from exoplanet transits and the frequency of Earth-like worlds to asteroseismology. Participants: All interested scientists and journalists are welcome to attend the First Kepler Science Conference Location: NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California in the Building 3 Conference Center (outside the Center gates). Dates: December 5-6-7, 2011. For more information: http://kepler.nasa.gov/Science/keplerconference/ [Source: NAI Newsletter]

Posted by Keith Cowing at 11:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) will hold a symposium on "Searching for Life Signatures" at the Kavli Royal Society International Centre in the UK on October 6-8, 2010. The IAA symposium will immediately follow a Royal Society meeting "Towards a Scientific and Societal Agenda on Extra-terrestrial Life," also at the Kavli Centre on October 4-5. A Call for Papers for the IAA symposium, including information on the Royal Society meeting, can be found at http://iaaweb.org/content/view/413/572/ The deadline for abstract submission to the IAA symposium is June 15. [Source: NAI Newsletter]

Posted by Keith Cowing at 10:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

October 4-5, 2010 The Kavli Royal Society International Centre, UK

Organised by Dr. Martin Dominik and Professor John Zarnecki

Should extra-terrestrial life exist, upcoming efforts will provide living generations with a realistic chance of its detection. Even more than the scientific agenda, a corresponding complementary societal agenda needs to be debated. With a mix of invited talks and panel debates, we particularly look into the detection of life, the communication with potential extra-terrestrial civilizations, the implications for the future of humanity, and the political processes that are required. For more information: http://royalsociety.org/extra-terrestrial-life/ [Source: NAI Newsletter]

Posted by Keith Cowing at 10:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Date/Time: Monday, June 21, 2010 11:00AM Pacific Speaker: Lee Kump (Pennsylvania State University) Title: "Evolution of the Oceans: Pale Pink Dot"

Although uniformitarian views dominated early thinking of ocean chemical evolution over geologic time, today we recognize that the composition of seawater has varied significantly over Earth's history. Some changes are ingrained in our thinking (for example, that the Archean ocean was anoxic and iron-rich) while others are rarely considered. For example, if sulfate was a trace constituent of the Archean ocean, then the chemistry of hydrothermal fluids would have been significantly different (more reduced, with high hydrogen partial pressures and iron concentrations but low concentrations of hydrogen sulfide); this may be of significance to those considering such environments as the locus for the origin of life and for early ecosystems. Refinement of radiometric ages of banded iron formations suggest that their deposition was episodic, not continuous, and this may require us to rethink the notion of a persistently Fe-replete Archean ocean. The rise of atmospheric oxygen in the earliest Proterozoic ironically created the potential for highly reducing marine conditions with free hydrogen sulfide in the upper water column supporting anoxygenic phototrophs. The persistence of these conditions through the Proterozoic is uncertain, but when they occurred, the "pale blue dot" may have been pink. Strategies for life detection on distant planets is based in part on our interpretation of Earth's oceanic and atmospheric evolution, and we have some way to go before we can confidently describe the evolutionary history and persistence of particular conditions on Earth.

For more information and participation instructions: http://astrobiology.nasa.gov/nai/seminars/detail/174 [Source: NAI Newsletter]

Posted by Keith Cowing at 5:03 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 as 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 5:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Session Proposals for the 2010 American Geophysical Union fall meeting in San Francisco are now being accepted. The deadline for all session proposals is 27 May 2010. Members of the Earth and space sciences community may submit a session proposal to any of the existing disciplines. Session proposals must focus on scientific results and/or their applications. Further details are available at http://www.agu.org/meetings/fm10/program/session_proposals.php

[Source: NAI Newsletter]

Posted by Keith Cowing at 2:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Planets, Life, and the Universe Astrobiology Lecture Series is supported by the NASA Astrobiology Institute, the Space Telescope Science Institute, the Space Studies Initiative and the Department of Biology of The Johns Hopkins University.

Upcoming Lectures:

Jun 18, 2010, 12:00p - 2:30p Wes Traub (Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Caltech) "Astrobiological Factors in Exoplanet Exploration Strategies"

Sep 3, 2010 12:00p - 2:30p Stephen Freeland (Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawaii) "Will Alien Life Resemble Us (and How Could We Possibly Know)? Astrobiology, Evolution and the Amino Acids"

More information and webcast information is available at http://astrobiology.stsci.edu/

[Source: NAI Newsletter]

Posted by Keith Cowing at 2:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Dear Members of the Exoplanet Research Community, We are pleased to announce that the second meeting of NASA's Exoplanet Exploration Program Analysis Group (ExoPAG-2) will be held Thursday and Friday, June 24-25, 2010 in Pasadena, CA. The tentative venue for the meeting is the Hilton Pasadena Hotel. Although the meeting agenda is still being formulated, it will likely include discussions in the areas the five science analysis groups (SAGs) established after the inaugural ExoPAG meeting. For reference, those 5 SAGs span the topical areas of:

1. Debris Disks and Exozodiacal Dust 2. Potential for Exoplanet Science Measurements from Solar System Probes 3. Planetary Architecture and Dynamical Stability 4. Planetary Measurements Needed for Exoplanet Characterization 5. State of External Occulter Concepts and Technology

More information about the scope of the current SAGs, as well as the ExoPAG in general, can be found on the ExoPAG website: http://exep.jpl.nasa.gov/ExoPAG/. Information about meeting logistics will also be posted on the ExoPAG web site as planning proceeds.

Of course, we welcome any suggestions from stakeholders in NASA's Exoplanet Exploration Program for additional topics of ExoPAG discussion and analysis. Please send any suggestions you might have to: NASA-ExoPAG@nasa.gov .

We hope to see you in Pasadena!

Jim Kasting - ExoPAG Chair Douglas Hudgins - NASA Exoplanet Exploration Program Scientist

[Source: NAI Newsletter]

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

June 13-18, 2010
Salve Regina University
Newport, RI

Chairs: Rachel N. Austin & Ariel D. Anbar

**APPLICATION DEADLINE: May 23, 2010**

This interdisciplinary meeting will gather together scientists--structural biologists, chemists, geneticists, chemical and biological oceanographers, geochemists, and other specialists--who study the flows of essential and toxic elements through the environment and living systems, on timescales ranging from femptoseconds to eons. Of particular interest are the molecular mechanisms that govern element acquisition and use in organisms, and the tools and techniques used to study these phenomena. The aim of this community is to use these molecular-scale insights to understand the interconnected biotic and abiotic processes that shape the macroscopic environment and its development and change over a range of time scales.

For more information: http://www.grc.org/programs.aspx?year=2010&program=envbiochem

Posted by Keith Cowing at 6:00 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 deadline for the Research Focus Group Workshop for Early Career Astrobiologists has been EXTENDED to March 26th! There are a few spots left, and applications will be accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis. Applications for the RFG are due by *March 26* and can be found on the RFG website: http://sites.google.com/site/abscicon2010rfg/ The second astrobiology Research Focus Group (RFG) workshop will take place the weekend before AbSciCon2010 on April 23-25 at Crockett Family Resort. The RFG workshop is an opportunity for early career astrobiologists to develop original research proposals in a collaborative setting. All costs associated with the RFG weekend, including food, lodging, and transportation, are supported by the NASA Astrobiology Institute. [Source NAI newsletter]

Posted by Keith Cowing at 11:39 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)

TO: NAI Newsletter distribution list
FROM: George Cody (NAI CIW team) and Douglas Whittet (NAI RPI team)
SUBJECT: Announcement and invitation to attend NAI "Workshop Without Walls": The Organic Continuum from the ISM to the Early Solar System

DATES: March 11-12, 2010

Workshop Website: http://astrobiology.nasa.gov/nai/2010vcworkshop

A two-day workshop using NAI remote communications tools will be held on March 11 and 12, 2010 to present topics spanning the cosmic evolution of organic complexity, from small molecule formation in interstellar clouds to organic synthesis and inventories in protoplanetary disks, the solar nebula, and primitive bodies such as comets and asteroids in our solar system.

Workshop topic areas include

* Interstellar Dust and the Organic Inventory of Protostellar Envelopes
* Organic Astrochemistry of Protoplanetary Disks
* Laboratory Studies of analog ISM and outer Solar System Materials
* Organics and Volatiles in Comets
* Organic matter in Interplanetary Dust particles.
* The Organic Inventory in Asteroids and Primitive Meteorites

This workshop is also a test of how to best use the advanced virtual communications capabilities of NAI to initiate greater cross-team awareness and dialog on a focused research area well represented across the NAI. What we learn from this will inform the greater NAI community.  

The workshop is open to all and will be accessible via internet browser- no special software or equipment is required. To receive connection details, please register on the NAI website: http://astrobiology.nasa.gov/nai/2010vcworkshop

Posted by Keith Cowing at 10:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In 2010, AbGradCon, the foremost astrobiology meeting for early-career researchers, will be held in Europe for the first time in its history (June 14-18). Graduate students and early-career postdocs from all over the world will come together in Taellberg, Sweeden to present their research in a comfortable environment, to learn of the latest developments in astrobiology, to network and to forge new collaborations. The meeting will comprise oral and poster presentations, half-day workshops and a one-day field trip to geologically instructive sites in the astrobiologically interesting Siljan impact crater. Attendees are encouraged from the very wide range of subjects pertinent to astrobiology. Financial assistance will be available to invited attendees. Abstract submission deadline: February 28, 2010. For more information: http://www.abgradcon2010.org

Posted by Keith Cowing at 7:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Location: Palacio de Magdalena, Santander, Cantabria, Spain
Dates: June 21-25, 2010
Deadline: Closing date for NAI scholarship applications - March 31, 2010.

Overview: A week of lectures from international experts, plus round-table discussions, student projects, night-sky observations, and a field trip to a nearby site of astrobiological interest. On-site accommodation and all meals are provided at the Santander campus of the Spanish National University, UIMP. Scholarships covering travel costs, school fees, accommodation and meals are provided by NAI for approximately 10 American students. Additional opportunities are available for students of other nationalities. For more information: http://astrobiology.nasa.gov/nai/UIMP/2010

Source: NAI newsletter

Posted by Keith Cowing at 8:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Leroy Nelson and Scott Sandford take questions about both science and culture; The inter-cultural team facilitates educators learning the classroom activities.

On January 28-29, 2010, the "NASA and the Navajo Nation" project team hosted a large-scale workshop for educators across the Navajo Nation. Over 100 teachers participated, despite the worst snow storm in 25 years, some traveling hours through severe conditions. On the first day, the teachers heard background lectures from both a cultural expert and an astrobiologist, Scott Sandford from NASA Ames Research Center. On the second day, the team trained teachers on classroom use of the six activities in the So' Baa Hane' booklet, inter-cultural materials developed by the project in 2006.

Continue reading "NASA and the Navajo Nation Project Hosts Teacher Workshop" »

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

30 January - 4 February 2011 at the Ventura Beach Marriott Hotel, Ventura, CA

Microbial Ecology in the Early Fossil Record of Earth and Modern Analogues

Convenors: Nora Noffke & John Stolz

This GRC will discuss the latest research highlights in geobiology and will invite exciting case studies that demonstrate the potential of this interdisciplinary research field. The aim is to involve geoscientists as well as bioscientists into this discussion and to initiate collaboration between the disciplines. Geobiology involves the study of both modern and ancient environments and life therein. It is not only relevant to the appearance and evolution of life and habitats on Earth, but has implications for the detection of life on other planetary systems. The main themes of this conference are: i) Biofilms and microbial mats; ii) Biologically controlled sedimentary processes in modern environments; iii) Products of biologically controlled sedimentary processes in fossil environments: biogenic sedimentary structures; (iv) The geobiological approach for the search for life on other planets; and (v) Perspectives and outlook.

For more information: http://www.grc.org/programs.aspx?year=2011&program=geobiology

Source: NAI newsletter

Posted by Keith Cowing at 8:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Session description:

The biogeochemical cycle of silicon, the second most abundant element of the earth's crust and a key nutrient element for numerous organisms, extends from the continents, via estuaries, to the oceans. In all environmental reservoirs (geo)physical, chemical, and biological processes affect the cycling of silicon. We invite research conducted on all aspects of the silicon cycle, at all spatial and temporal scales, using experimental, observational and modeling techniques. We particularly encourage contributions that explore the interconnections between the geological and biological roles of silicon.

For more information and abstract submission: http://www.goldschmidt2010.org

Source: NAI newsletter

Posted by Keith Cowing at 8:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The NASA Astrobiology Institute is offering funding for students and postdocs to attend the Astrobiology Science Conference (AbSciCon) 2010 in League City, Texas, on April 26-29, 2010. Information about AbSciCon is available online at http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/abscicon2010.  Undergraduates, graduate students, and postdocs are eligible to apply for funding.

The deadline for applications is Friday, March 5. Award decisions will be made and applicants notified by Friday, March 19.

More information and an application form is posted on the NAI website at http://astrobiology.nasa.gov/abscicon-student-funding.

Please direct any comments or questions to Wendy Dolci: Wendy.W.Dolci@nasa.gov

Posted by Keith Cowing at 1:22 PM | 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 2010.

ASTROBIOLOGY SUMMER SCIENCE EXPERIENCE for TEACHERS (ASSET)
Dates: July 18 -24, 2010
Location: San Francisco, CA
Applications due: February 12, 2010
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 covered by grant funds.

TELESCOPES: TOOLS FOR ASTRONOMICAL DISCOVERY AND THE SEARCH FOR LIFE ON OTHER PLANETS

Dates: July 26-30, 2010
Location: Pennsylvania State University
URL: http://teachscience.psu.edu/workshops/telescopes.html
Educators will build a simple telescope, utilize telescopes in distant object observations, and learn how modern telescope technology allows us to probe the most distant objects in the universe and may help us discover other habitable planets. [Source NAI Newsletter]

Posted by Keith Cowing at 12:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

January 7-8, 2010 (Thursday 1:00-5:15pm and Friday 8:30am-12:00noon)
Marriott Wardman Park, Washington DC

Scientists interested in exoplanet exploration from space-based platforms are encouraged to attend the upcoming meeting of the Exoplanet Exploration Program Analysis Group (ExoPAG). You can review the agenda from the Exoplanet Exploration Program (ExEP) website listed below. Note that you do not need to register for the AAS in order to attend; it's at the same location, but is a separate meeting.

Continue reading "ExoPAG 1: Initial Meeting of the Exoplanet Exploration Program Analysis Group (ExoPAG)" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 9:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Taellberg, Sweden - June 14-18, 2010.
Registration Deadline: May 1, 2010
Abstract submission Deadline: February 28, 2010

Conference Poster: http://www.abgradcon2010.org/attachments/049_abgradcon2010.pdf

In 2010, AbGradCon, the foremost astrobiology meeting for early-career researchers, will be held in Europe for the first time in its history. Graduate students and early-career postdocs from all over the world will come together to present their research in an informal environment, to learn of the latest developments in astrobiology, to network, and to forge new collaborations. The meeting will comprise oral and poster presentations, half-day workshops and a one-day field trip to geologically instructive sites in the astrobiologically interesting Siljan impact crater. Attendees are encouraged from the very wide range of subjects pertinent to astrobiology. Financial assistance will be available to invited attendees.

Further information is available at the conference website: http://www.abgradcon2010.org

[source: NAI Newsletter]

Posted by Keith Cowing at 5:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Planets, Life, and the Universe Astrobiology Lecture Series is supported by the NASA Astrobiology Institute, the Space Telescope Science Institute, the Space Studies Initiative and the Department of Biology of The Johns Hopkins University.

Upcoming Lectures:

Jamie Elsila Cook (GSFC/Goddard Center for Astrobiology), "Cometary Amino Acids from the STARDUST Mission" Dec 4, 2009, 12:00p - 2:30pm EST

Stephen Mojzsis (University of Colorado), "Habitability of the Hadean Earth" Jan 8, 2010, 12:00pm - 2:30pm EST

More information and webcast information is available at http://astrobiology.stsci.edu/

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

Loren Williams, "Where Did Protein Come From?"

Date/Time: Tuesday December 8, 2009 2:30PM Pacific

Speaker: Loren Williams (Georgia Institute of Technology)

Abstract: Ribosomes are RNA-based macromolecular machines responsible for the synthesis of all proteins in all living organisms. Ribosomes are the most ancient of life's macromolecules and are our most direct link to the deep evolutionary past, beyond the base of the phyologenetic tree. The recent availability of high resolution 3D structures of ribosomes provides us with new methods of detection and inference. We will discuss methods for resurrection and biochemical characterization of aboriginal ribosomes.

For more information and participation instructions: http://astrobiology.nasa.gov/nai/seminars/detail/166

[Source: NAI Newsletter]

Posted by Keith Cowing at 3:56 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)

Taellberg, Sweden - June 14-18, 2010: In 2010, AbGradCon, the foremost astrobiology meeting for early-career researchers, will be held in Europe for the first time in its history. Graduate students and early-career postdocs from all over the world will come together to present their research in a comfortable environment, to learn of the latest developments in astrobiology, to network and to forge new collaborations. The meeting will comprise oral and poster presentations, half-day workshops and a one-day field trip to geologically instructive sites in the astrobiologically interesting Siljan impact crater. Attendees are encouraged from the very wide range of subjects pertinent to astrobiology. Financial assistance will be available to invited attendees. Further information is available at the conference website: http://www.abgradcon2010.org [Source: NAI Newsletter]

Posted by Keith Cowing at 12:52 PM | 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)

The deadline for proposing Session Topics to AbSciCon 2010 has been extended until September 30. The organizing committee is soliciting community input for session topics. Suggestions will be reviewed by the organizing committee, and the approved list of session topics will appear in the second announcement along with the call for abstracts. The announcement of Session Topics, along with instruction for submitting abstracts, will be online by October 14. The Abstract deadline remains December 1. For more information: http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/abscicon2010/abscicon2010.topics.shtml Source: NAI Newsletter

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

November 25-27, 2009 in Frascati, Italy - The NASA Mars Program Office has announced that travel funding will be made available for as many as 5 students who are U.S. citizens or legal residents, with Mars-related interests, to attend the Workshop on Methane on Mars: Current Observations, Interpretation and Future Plans, November 25-27, 2009 in Frascati, Italy. An application must be submitted by September 28, 2009, to be considered for this funding. NASA Headquarters will make the selections and students will be notified no later than October 15, 2009. Reimbursable costs include registration fees, transportation (airfare, mileage to/from airport, parking, rental car) and lodging/per diem. In most cases, actual expenses will exceed the funding provided.

Continue reading "Student Travel Grants - Workshop on Methane on Mars" »

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

Danny Glavin (speaker) and Jason Dworkin, "Southpaw Solar System: L-Amino Acid Excesses in Meteorites and the Implications for the Origin of Homochirality on Earth"

Abstract: Meteorites provide a record of the chemical processes that occurred in the early solar system before life began on Earth. The delivery of organic matter, including amino acids, by carbonaceous meteorites could have been an important source of the early Earth's prebiotic organic inventory. The earlier discovery of slight to significant excesses for several indigenous left handed

Continue reading "10/5 NAI Director's Seminar" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 9:49 AM | 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)

Dear members and friends of ASGSB,

Make plans to join with your colleagues and friends in Raleigh, North Carolina, from November 5-8, 2009, for the annual meeting of the American Society for Gravitational and Space Biology. The scientific committee is very excited about the program, which will include symposia on Habitation Science (chaired by Cary Mitchell), Biological Engineering and Synthetic Biology (chaired by Marshall Porterfield) and The ISS as a National Laboratory (chaired by Ken Souza). We will also have posters, oral sessions, committee meetings, and plenty of time for networking.

Continue reading "ASGSB Annual Meeting Update" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 12:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Weary of catching planes, burning up fossil fuels, and spending lots of time and money to attend meetings? Take heart! Virtual worlds are shaping up as possible venues for online meetings--and astrobiology graduate students are leading the way in exploring their potential. On July 17-18, 2009, early-career astrobiologists met at the University of Washington in Seattle for the 6th annual Astrobiology Graduate Student Conference (AbGradCon), and simultaneously in the virtual world Second Life. Students presented talks that were streamed live into Second Life and participated in a real-world and virtual world "mixed reality" poster session. Social media such as Facebook, YouTube and Twitter were also used for sharing information before, during and after the conference. MORE

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

Greetings!

Amid the turmoil of new grant solicitations plus the coming holiday, you may have set aside your ASGSB abstract. This is a reminder that the deadline is imminent. Even with some leniency from beneficent organizers, you should get set to submit. The official deadline is Monday, July 6.

Submit your abstract(s) for the 2009 Annual Meeting of the American Society for Gravitational and Space Biology. The meeting roster already contains a range of excellent symposia and paper sessions. To submit an abstract, go to the ASGSB website: http://www.asgsb.org

Posted by Keith Cowing at 7:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Date/Time: Monday June 29, 2009 11:00AM Pacific

Presenter: Chris Scholin, Molecular Biologist, Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI)

Abstract: In late April 2009, a team of MBARI researchers tested the world's only deep-sea robotic DNA lab beneath the waters of Monterey Bay. This instrument is the latest version of the Environmental Sample Processor (ESP), which MBARI molecular biologist Chris Scholin has been developing for over 10 years. The ESP is a self-contained robotic laboratory that collects samples of seawater and tests these samples for different types of genetic material, such as DNA.

Continue reading "NAI Director's Seminar: "Application of the Environmental Sample Processor (ESP) in Deep-sea and Coastal Ocean Biomes"" »

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

Ames is proud to announce the first lecture in a series on the Evolution of Science and Technology. On Thursday, March 12 at 7:00 PM at the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts, Dr. James Strick of Franklin & Marshall College will talk about Charles Darwin and his thoughts on the origins of life. Employees and members of the public are invited to attend this free public lecture sponsored by Ames and the NASA Astrobiology Institute. Additional lectures in the series, which honors the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin's birth among other significant anniversaries, will be announced at a later date.

Continue reading "Lecture on Darwin and the Origin of Life" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 12:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A Meeting-in-a-Meeting to be held during the 214th Meeting of the AAS, June 7-11, 2009, Pasadena, California ( http://aas.org/meetings/aas214 ) Sponsored by the American Astronomical Society (AAS) Working Group on Laboratory Astrophysics (WGLA) - ( http://www.aas.org/labastro/ )

Abstract Submission deadline: 2 March 2009
Late Abstract Submission deadline: 30 April 2009

Continue reading "Bridging Laboratory and Astrophysics: From the Infrared to the Submm" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 1:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Starting on February 23rd, 2009, each of the NAI teams began giving one hour overview seminars that describe the work they will be performing as members of the NAI. These seminars, which are broadcast via videoconference and web, provide an opportunity to find out more about the science, EPO and other activities being performed by the NAI teams. These seminars take place at 11am Pacific time. The schedule of the remaining talks follow.

Monday, March 9: Isik Kanik, NASA JPL - Icy Worlds
Wednesday, March 11: Mark Allen, NASA JPL - Titan
Monday, March 16: Ariel Anbar, Arizona State University
Wednesday, March 18: Clark Johnson, University of Wisconsin
Monday, March 30: John Peters, Montana State University
Wednesday, April 1: Loren Williams, Georgia Institute of Technology
Monday, April 6: Chris House, Penn State University
Wednesday, April 8: Doug Whittet, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Monday, April 13: Vikki Meadows, VPL at University of Washington
Wednesday, April 15: Mike Mumma, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Monday, April 20: Roger Summons, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Wednesday, April 22: Karen Meech, University of Hawaii

For more information about these seminars, podcasts of previous seminars and participation information, please visit http://astrobiology.nasa.gov/nai/seminars/

[Source: NAI Newsletter]

Posted by Keith Cowing at 12:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Life in Extreme Environments Educator Conference, hosted by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory Education Office, was held on January 24-25, 2009 in JPL's von Karman auditorium. E/PO Leads from NAI's teams at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, JPL-Titan, and JPL-Icy Worlds participated in producing the event. Eighty-one educators attended. The program included an introduction to astrobiology, as well as more detailed presentations outlining astrobiology research into extrasolar planet habitability, pre-biotic chemistry, spectral "bio"signatures, and planetary protection. NAI educational materials were distributed.

Continue reading "Life in Extreme Environments Educator Conference" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 9:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Starting on February 23rd, 2009, each of the NAI teams will be giving one hour overview seminars that describe the work they will be performing as members of the NAI. These seminars, which will be broadcast via videoconference and web, will provide an opportunity to find out more about the science, EPO and other activities being performed by the NAI teams. These seminars will take place at 11am Pacific time. The schedule of the talks follows:

Continue reading "NAI Team Overview Seminars to begin February 23rd" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 10:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Come join an interdisciplinary gathering of scientists, artists and writers as they explore human futures in fact and fiction at the annual CONTACT conference.

WHERE: NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif., Building 943 located at the main gate. To reach NASA Ames, take U.S. Highway 101 to the Moffett Field, NASA Parkway exit and drive east on Moffett Boulevard towards the main gate and bear right into the parking lot. Building 943 is located across the street from the large white dome.

WHEN: Friday, April 3, 2009 to Sunday, April 5, 2009

Continue reading "CONTACT Conference 2009" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 12:36 PM | 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)

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 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 8:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Date/Time: Monday, January 12, 2009 11:00AM Pacific

Join us for the next FAR Seminar! The topic for this seminar is "Habitability" Please see http://astrobiology.nasa.gov/event/habitability-seminar/ for more information and participation instructions.

Source: NAI Newsletter

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

Dates: February 4-6, 2009
Location: NASA Ames Research Center

Reconciling observations of extrasolar planets with those of the solar system will engage the efforts of planetary formation observers and theorists for the foreseeable future. The aim of this meeting is to promote cross-fertilization between the extrasolar and the solar planetary communities. The topics will include both theoretical and observational characterization of protostars and planets. The emphasis of the meeting will be to compare and contrast planetary systems. Ideally, constraints derived from diverse planetary systems will be complementary; yet, the extent to which such systems can be viewed under a common prism remains to be clarified.

Continue reading "Solar-Extrasolar Meeting to be held as NASA Ames Research Center" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 8:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Dates: February 4 - 6, 2009

On the first day, the meeting will address the stellar environment during planet formation. On the second, invited talks will touch on extrasolar planets and planet formation. The third day will cover solar system talks. Since the range of topics is quite broad, a preliminary schedule is included below. When submitting an abstract please take into consideration how well your chosen topic fits into the program, as this will be one of the criteria for the selection panel. We will schedule 10 or so contributed talks, and will have a poster session if there is sufficient interest.

Please Contact Ignacio Mosqueira at mosqueir@cosmic.arc.nasa.gov with an abstract of 1000 words or less in word or pdf format before November 15. Abstracts should emphasize the broad theme of the Origins of planetary systems.

Source: NAI Newsletter

Posted by Keith Cowing at 8:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The NAI Planetary System Formation Focus Group (PSFFG) invites interested astrobiologists to participate in a review of the astrobiological value of upcoming and proposed NASA space telescopes relevant for the general question of planetary system formation. The meeting will be held in conjunction with the meeting of the American Astronomical Society (AAS) in Long Beach, California on January 4-9, 2009. For details about the AAS meeting, please see:

http://aas.org/meetings/aas213

Continue reading "NAI Planetary System Formation Focus Group Meeting" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 8:31 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)

Presenter: Rory Barnes
Date/Time: October 7, 2008 02:30 PM Pacific

Abstract: The first terrestrial-like exoplanets will likely be observed in tight orbits around low-mass stars. Conveniently, planets on these orbits receive about as much starlight as the Earth does from the Sun, and hence have to potential to be habitable. Such planets may also experience significant tidal forces from the star which can result in orbital decay, a specific planetary rotation, and significant internal heating. I describe how these phenomena are likely to impact habitability. In some cases orbital decay may result in planets moving too close to their star for habitability. For planets on non-circular orbits, rotation periods may be similar to the Earth's and hence may produce similar atmospheric circulation patterns.

Continue reading "UW Seminar: Rory Barnes, "Habitability of Tidally-Locked Terrestrial Exoplanets"" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 7:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Salle Cassini, Observatoire de Paris, November 19-21 2008

Exoplanets are being discovered at an ever accelerating pace. As a result planetary scientists and astronomers are increasingly called upon to make the transition from discovery to characterization, so that we can begin the long journey of understanding these planets in the same way that we understand those in our own Solar System. Among the known exoplanets, hot-Jupiters and hot-Neptunes that transit their parent stars present the first real opportunities to determine key compositional and atmospheric parameters.

Continue reading "Molecules in the Atmospheres of Extrasolar Planets - A Workshop in Paris" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 7:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

WHEN: November 19, 2008 (Wed) ~ November 21, 2008 (Fri)
WHERE: Salle Cassini, Observatoire Paris, Paris, France

Exoplanets are being discovered at an ever accelerating pace, and planetary scientists and astronomers are increasingly called upon to make the transition from discovery to characterization. This workshop aims at bringing together different scientific communities: solar system planetary scientists, brown dwarf and exoplanet modellers and observers, molecular spectroscopy and instrument development experts.

We will cover different topics: radiative transfer, line lists, photochemical models, dynamics, and observations using space- and ground-based facilities. Current results will be discussed in the context of the preparation of upcoming missions, SPITZER, JWST, and SPICA, and the next generation of direct detection mission concepts from ground and space.

Posted by: Daniella Scalice, NASA Astrobiology

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

Oct. 7-9, 2008
Location: Center of Marine Biotechnology, 701 East Pratt Street Baltimore, Maryland 21202

NASA has developed this course on planetary protection policies and practices to familiarize current and future practitioners with NASA and COSPAR planetary protection programs. The course provides a comprehensive review of all applicable policies, practices and procedures necessary to implement a successful planetary protection program, emphasizing integration of managerial, administrative, and laboratory aspects of planetary protection.

Continue reading "Courses and Conferences: Planetary Protection: Policies and Practices" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 6:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Date/Time: Monday, September 29, 2008 11:00AM Pacific
Speaker: Norm Sleep, Stanford University

Abstract: Silicate super-earths are rocky planets with masses up to ~10 that of the Earth. They are of astrobiological interest because they are relatively easy to detect around other stars. Tectonics enhances habitability on the Earth by exhuming biologically important elements. Plate tectonics are too poorly understood on the Earth to tell whether this process should occur on larger planets. Still the Gauss' law relationship that surface heat flow scales with surface gravity provides some insight and yields that the geotherm expressed in terms of pressure is to the first order invariant to planetary size.

Continue reading "NAI Director's Seminar: Norm Sleep, "Habitability of Superearths"" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 5:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

POC: Craig Moore, 256-544-7585, Craig.E.Moore@nasa.gov

The Marshall Space Flight Center is sponsoring a Space Sensors and Measurement Techniques workshop in August to discuss new technologies for sensor development. The two-day workshop will be held Aug. 5-6, 2008, at the Nashville Doubletree Hotel, Nashville, Tenn.

Continue reading "NASA Marshall to Host Space Sensors Workshop" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 5:09 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 CheMin mineralogical instrument on the MSL mission and the field-portable TERRA version available for NAI field campaigns"

Speaker: David Blake
Date/Time: Monday, June 30, 2008 11:00AM Pacific

Abstract: Dr. Blake will describe the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) '09 mission and its CheMin XRD/XRF instrument. A terrestrial field-deployable version of CheMin (called "TERRA") will be available to perform in situ analyses during NAI field campaigns. The TERRA instrument has already been proven to be invaluable on field expeditions to Spitsbergen (Norway), the dry valleys of Antarctica, Canada (twice), and Rio Tinto (Spain).

Continue reading "NAI Director's Seminar" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 3:27 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)

Presenter: Giovanna Tinetti, University College, London

Date/Time: June 2, 2008 11:00 AM Pacific

Abstract: In the past decade, over 280 planets orbiting other stars (extrasolar planets) have been discovered. For a growing sample of giant extrasolar planets orbiting very close to their parent star (hot-Jupiters), we can already probe their atmospheric constituents using transit techniques. With this method, we can indirectly observe the thin atmospheric ring surrounding the optically thick disc of the planet -the limb- while the planet is transiting in front of its parent star. This method was traditionally used to probe the atmospheres of planets in our Solar System and most recently, thanks to the Hubble and Spitzer Space Telescopes, was successfully applied to exoplanets.

Continue reading "NAI Director's Seminar: "Observing Extrasolar Worlds: From Gas Giant to Terrestrial Planets"" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 10:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Co-chairs: Dr. Barbara Cohen (Barbara.A.Cohen@nasa.gov) Dr. Stephen Mojzsis (mojzsis@colorado.edu)

Even as we approach the 40th anniversary of Apollo 11, one of the more remarkable results to come out of lunar sample analyses is the hypothesis that a large number of impact events occurred on the Moon during a narrow window in time approximately 3.8 to 4.1 billion years ago (the lunar "cataclysm"). Subsequent work on the lunar and martian meteorite suites; remote sensing of the Moon, Mars, asteroids, and icy satellites; improved dynamical modeling; and investigation of terrestrial zircons extend the cataclysm hypothesis to the Earth, other terrestrial planets, and possibly the entire solar system. Renewed US and international interest in exploring the Moon offers new potential to constrain the Earth-Moon bombardment history. In light of these opportunities, this session invites the latest views on the evidence, timing and mechanism for cataclysmic bombardment of the solar system and its effects on the nascent Earth, including evidence in terrestrial rocks, effects on terrestrial systems (biosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere), and questions that may be answered in a new age of exploration.

Continue reading "GSA session T96 "Planetary Pummelling: Cataclysmic Bombardment of the Solar System as Catastrophe, Catalyst, Cauldron and Crucible"" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 10:21 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)

• NAI Virus Focus Group, Monday, April 14, 1 -5:30PM, Room 207
• NAI Origin of Life Focus Group, Wednesday, April 16, Lunch Hour, Room 206
• NAI Early Earth Focus Group, Wednesday, April 16, Lunch Hour, Great America #1
• NAI Mars Focus Group, Wednesday, April 16, Lunch Hour, Great America #2
• NAI Planetary System Formation, Wednesday, April 16, Lunch Hour, Great America #3

Conference Center Floor Plan http://www.santaclara.org/conventioncenter/floorplan.cfm [Source: NAI newsletter]

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

July 21-25, 2008, St Andrews, Scotland

The Cool Stars meetings have a long tradition of presenting cutting edge science in the fields of cool stars, exoplanets and solar physics. Topics of interest at Cool Stars 15 will include seismology, surface and atmospheric dynamics, angular momentum evolution, dust formation, coronae, magnetospheres and winds. The conference aims to gather scientists working in all these fields in order to stimulate cross-disciplinary exchange. The NAI is sponsoring 9 speakers at this meeting.

For a preliminary program and registration see: http://star-www.st-and.ac.uk/coolstars15/

The deadline for contributed talks is May 2, 2008. [Source: NAI newsletter]

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

Presenters: Jody Deming and James Staley (University of Washington)

Date/Time: Monday, March 31, 2008 11:00 AM Pacific

For more information and participation instructions: http://nai.arc.nasa.gov/seminars/seminar_detail.cfm?ID=119

Posted by Keith Cowing at 6:29 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)

January 30th: "The New Worlds Observer: A Mission to Open Up Detailed Study of Planetary Systems"

NAI will be broadcasting this virtual seminar over the web at 2pm MST on Wednesday, January 30th. Webster Cash from UC Boulder will present. Please contact Marco Boldt for information on how to join. Marco.S.Boldt@nasa.gov

Continue reading "University of Colorado Virtual Seminar" »

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

NASA Science Mission Directorate to Sponsor NASA Academy of Program, Project, and Engineering Leadership (APPEL) Mission Principal Investigator Training Course

Beginning in 2008, the NASA Science Mission Directorate (SMD) will be sponsoring a series of offerings of a one-week Mission Principal Investigator (PI) Training Course to help mission PIs lead NASA science missions more effectively.

Continue reading "NASA offers Mission PI Training Course" »

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

NAI is sponsoring the workshop Cyanobacteria in the Lunar Environment" at NASA Ames Research Center from January 28-30, 2008. It will bring together microbiologists, planetary scientists, and experts in flight experiments and hardware to assess the value and feasibility of studying cyanobacteria in space environments. Cyanobacteria are of great interest as model microorganisms to space programs because of their antiquity on earth, metabolic diversity, resilience to adverse conditions, ability to efficiently produce oxygen and hydrogen, and the existence of advanced capabilities for their genetic manipulation. Furthermore, cyanobacteria have considerable potential value for in-situ resource utilization and life support technologies.

Continue reading "Cyanobacteria in the Lunar Environment Workshop" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 12:08 AM | 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)

Dear ASGSB members: We have received a Dear Colleague notification from ESA that our joint international meeting is proceeding on schedule. A call will come shortly for abstract submission. This is a rare opportunity to share our research and strengthen our interactions in the global community. Please try to find a way to participate in person at our 24th Annual ASGSB Meeting to demonstrate the collective spirit and importance of international collaboration in space-related science.

Danny A. Riley President, ASGSB, dariley@mcw.edu

Continue reading "ASGSB 2008 Annual Meeting in France" »

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

Nov 5 – 7, 2007, Kauai, HI

This interdisciplinary meeting is aimed at understanding the chronology of the processes in the early solar system as revealed by meteorites. This includes the astrophysical setting of solar system formation, the origin of short-lived radioisotopes, and the chronology of nebular and asteroidal processes: formation of chondrules, refractory inclusions and matrices of primitive chondrites, timing of accretion and thermal processing (aqueous alteration, thermal metamorphism, and igneous differentiation) of asteroids and comets.

For more information: http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/metchron2007/metchron2007.1st.shtml [Source: NAI Newsletter]

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

The organizers of the 2008 Astrobiology Science Conference are pleased to announce that the deadline for abstract submission has been extended!

The revised deadline for submission of abstracts is December 3, 2007.

Abstracts should be submitted via the conference website (http://abscicon.seti.org), where a complete list of topical sessions can also be found.

Questions regarding submission of abstracts can be addressed to abstracts@seti.org.

Posted by Keith Cowing at 7:46 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)

A special session titled "Return to Europa" will be held at the 2007 fall AGU meeting in San Francisco (Dec. 10-14) [ http://www.agu.org/meetings/fm07 ]. This is an exciting opportunity for presentations on Europa research and analog studies which inform our understanding of this fascinating satellite, and which set the stage for its future exploration. The deadline for abstract submissions is September 6 at 23:59 UT (4:59 pm PDT, 7:59 pm EDT). [Source: NAI Newsletter]

Posted by Keith Cowing at 12:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

September 20, 2007 to September 21, 2007

The NAI Icy Worlds Focus Group will hold a workshop from September 20-21, 2007 at NASA Ames Research Center. The workshop will concentrate on mission-related astrobiology issues relating to our Solar System’s icy moons such as Europa, Titan, and Enceladus. Participants will share their work, making presentations and assessments of the four NASA-sponsored mission studies, and considering the measurements and instruments appropriate for astrobiological exploration of icy objects.

Posted by Keith Cowing at 7:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

August 6, 2007 to August 10, 2007

Each summer, NAI's Marine Biological Laboratory Team offers a one-week workshop for middle and high school teachers focusing on activities that can be incorporated into existing classroom curricula. Resident and visiting scientists from the Woods Hole community present teachers with background information and updates on current research developments on a variety of topics related to the importance of microbes and microbial processes in the biosphere.

Posted by Keith Cowing at 7:54 AM | 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)

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)

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)

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)

A NASA Astrobiology Institute Field Workshop "Biosignatures in Ancient Rocks (BAR)" will be held during September 18-28 in Ontario, Canada. See the details at http://psarc.geosc.psu.edu/RESEARCH/New_Conference/Ontario_new.htm [Source: NAI Newsletter]

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

Speaker: Steven D'Hondt (University of Rhode Island); Date/Time: Monday, April 30, 2007 11AM PDT

For more information and participation instructions, visit: http://nai.arc.nasa.gov/seminars/seminar_detail.cfm?ID=102 [Source: NAI Newsletter]

Posted by Keith Cowing at 10:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

We're getting AbGradCon back on track! The next installment of AbGradCon (The Astrobiology Graduate Conference) will be held July 14 & 15, 2007 in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The goal of AbGradCon is to foster communication and collaboration within the broad astrobiology-related graduate student and postdoc community, and to give early graduate students a chance to practice speaking in a collegial atmosphere. AbGradCon 2007 @ Bioastronomy is being organized in cooperation with the IAU Bioastronomy Symposium being held July 16 - 20, one of the largest astrobiology-related conferences of 2007.

Continue reading "AbGradCon 2007 @ Bioastronomy" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 8:28 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)

Special session at the 210th Meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Honolulu, Hawaii
Thursday May 31 (Morning) Convenors: Nader Haghighipour and Eric Gaidos (University of Hawaii NAI Lead Team)

Continue reading "Hot Earths: Formation, Detection and Structure" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 8:29 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)

Speakers: Lisa Pratt (Indiana University) and T.C. Onstott (Princeton University)

Date/Time: Monday, January 29, 2007 11AM PST

Continue reading "NAI Director's Seminar 1/29: Long-Term Sustainability of a High-Energy," »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 1:14 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)

The 9th International Thermophiles Conference will be held from 24th to 27th of September 2007 in Bergen, the "Gateway to the Fjords of Norway". The conference will cover all aspects of microorganisms living at high temperatures. Registration and abstract submission will open on January 15, 2007.

Continue reading "Thermophiles 2007 - First call" »

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

Join us for the next University of Washington Astrobiology Seminar! David Deamer of U.C. Santa Cruz will be speaking on the topic "Self-assembly Processes in the Prebiotic Environment"

Continue reading "University of Washington Seminar: Self-assembly Processes in the Prebiotic Environment" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 10:31 AM | 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)

November 14-16, 2006
Space Life Sciences Laboratory, Kennedy Space Center, Florida
Supported by: NASA Planetary Protection Office and NASA Astrobiology Institute
Registration Deadline: October 7, 2006

Continue reading "Planetary Protection: Policies and Practices, a short course" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 12:24 AM | 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)

The UK Space Biomedicine Group (UKSBG) is hosting the 3rd UK Space Medicine Conference on the weekend of the 30th September - 1st October at the National Space Centre in Leicester, UK

Continue reading "3rd UK Space Medicine Conference" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 10:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Editor's note: I have spent the last few days as a participant in the NASA Next Generation Exploration Conference at NASA ARC - a fascinating assembly of young space professionals and students from around the U.S. - and the world. This has been a refreshing break from the cynicism I usually encounter as I "watch" NASA. These folks see their future in space - and they are determined to make it happen. A moment ago I made an offer to all participants to post anything they might wish to send me about this conference - and what they'd like to see come from it.

More at A Bright Ray of Hope, NASA Watch

Posted by Keith Cowing at 6:01 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)

The NAI has awarded $4000 to support student participation in "Changes in Ocean and Atmospheric redox state and the evolution of life" session of the 2006 GSA Annual Meeting.

Continue reading "NAI Student Travel Funds Available for 2006 GSA Annual Meeting" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 7:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Join NAI for the Polycom and WebEx broadcast of the second annual Summer Student Seminar Series. The talks will be given on Friday, July 28th and Friday August 11th at 12:00pm PDT (9:00am HT/1:00pm MDT/2:00pm CDT/3:00pm EDT.)

Continue reading "Second Annual Summer Student Seminar Series Begins July 28" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 7:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

With NAI support, the Evolutionary Genomics Focus Group hosted a one-day symposium on Friday, May 26th, at Arizona State University. Blair Hedges (Penn State) organized the event, which featured 15 speakers from the U.S. and Europe and more than 100 participants, during the annual meeting for the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution.

Continue reading "Discovering the Timetree of Life Symposium" »

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

July 24 - August 11, 2006, Honolulu, Hawaii. The University of Hawaii Astrobiology Institute (UH-NAI) is hosting the Computational Astrobiology Summer School from July 24 until August 11, 2006. This is an excellent opportunity for graduate students in computer science and related areas to learn about astrobiology, and to carry out substantial projects related to the field.

Continue reading "Computational Astrobiology Summer School" »

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

The third Pale Blue Dot workshop will be held at the Adler Planetarium & Astronomy Museum in Chicago from 17-20 September, 2006. (The first two Pale Blue Dot workshops were held at NASA Ames Research Center in 1996 and 1999.) Many NAI members are on the program organizing committee, including the Chair Vikki Meadows, and NAI is a co-convenor of the meeting along with Adler.

Continue reading "Pale Blue Dot III Registration Now Open" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 12:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

16-18 Oct. 2006 Lyon, France The deadline for registration, abstract submission and travel grants applications has been extended to 14 July 2006. You can register and submit contributions to the 6th European Workshop on Astrobiology (16-18 Oct. 2006, Lyon, France) at http://eana06.univ-lyon1.fr/ [Source: NAI Newsletter]

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

"To ASGSB members: Please submit your abstract for the 2006 Annual Meeting. The deadline for submission is July 7, 2006, and abstracts can be submitted via the society's homepage (http://www.asgsb.org/)."

Continue reading "ASGSB 2006 Annual Meeting Abstract Deadline" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 1:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In conjunction with the 2006 GRC Origin of Life conference, organizers are offering the first Origin of Life Graduate Research Seminar. The Graduate Research Seminar is designed to identify top young talent in diverse fields and encourage them to present cutting edge research in origin of life contexts.

Continue reading "Graduate Research Seminar - Origin of Life (Gordon Research Conference)" »

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

19-21 September 2006 Hirshhorn Museum, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC - Purpose: The purpose of this conference is to undertake a broad overview of the societal impact of space exploration, especially as illuminated by historical research. The purpose is not to conduct an exercise in public affairs or a debate over public policy, but to examine with rigorous research what the impact has been, both nationally and internationally.

Continue reading "NASA History Division and National Air and Space Museum Division of Space History" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 12:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Led by the E/PO Leads from NAI's University of Arizona, teachers from across the country convened in Alberta, Canada this past weekend for a two day professional development experience focused on astrobiology science and the latest research in pedagogy, curriculum, instruction, and assessment.

Continue reading "Astrobiology Summer Workshops for Educators Kick Off in Canada" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 11:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Europlanet #1, European Planetary Science Congress 2006, Berlin, Germany, 18 - 22 September 2006 - The intention of the European Planetary Science Congress 2006 is to cover a broad area of science topics related to planetary science and planetary missions. The program of the congress will contain oral and poster sessions, and it will emphasize workshops and panel discussions in order to have a strong interaction between the participants.

Continue reading "Call for Papers: European Planetary Science Congress 2006" »

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

The NAI sponsored workshop of the Europa Focus Group at NASA Ames Research Center, from February 27 - 28, 2006, involvied 115 participants. Presentations from this successful meeting are now available at: http://astrobiology.asu.edu/focus/europa/discuss/discuss.html

Posted by Keith Cowing at 5:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Integrated Ocean Drilling Program Management International (IODP-MI) and Joint Oceanographic Institutions (JOI) announce an international workshop on subseafloor life. The workshop will be held in Vancouver, British Columbia, October 3-5, 2006.

Continue reading "IODP International Workshop: Exploring Subseafloor Life With the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program" »

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

September 17-21 2006, Brest, Brittany, France

Extremophiles 2006 International Conference will be held at the Quartz Congress Hall, Brest, Brittany, France, from 17th to 21nd September 2006. After the series of successful conferences since 1996, Extremophiles 2006 will offer an exciting opportunity for the colleagues to share the latest scientific knowledge in this fascinating field and to enjoy the remarkable and breathtaking natural beauty of the very western part of Brittany.

Abstract Deadline: May 31, 2006
Early Registration Deadline: May 31, 2006

For more information: http://www.extremophiles2006.org/

Posted by Keith Cowing at 10:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The 6th workshop of the European Astrobiology Network Association (EANA) will be held the 16-18th October 2006 at the Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, France. This workshop will address all the main topics of astrobiology, as described at the website, http://eana06.univ-lyon1.fr/.

Posted by Keith Cowing at 10:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The 19th UCL (University College London) Astronomy Colloquium: "Astrobiology" will be held at Cumberland Lodge, Windsor Great Park, from Monday 10 (noon) to Thursday 13 (morning) July 2006.

Continue reading "19th UCL Astronomy Colloquium: "Astrobiology"" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 5:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Applications are now being accepted for the 2006 Gordon Research Conference on the Origin of Life, at Bates College, Maine, July 23-28. Please visit http://www.grc.org/programs/2006/origin.htm for more information. Due to the the first Origin of Life Graduate Research Seminar being held in conjunction with the regular GRC OOL, a significant response is anticipated. Applicants are encouraged to apply early.

Posted by Keith Cowing at 5:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Adler Planetarium & Astronomy Museum and the NAI (http://nai.arc.nasa.gov/) are co-convening the third Pale Blue Dot workshop, which is made possible by the Brinson Foundation. Pale Blue Dot III will provide a venue to forge links between terrestrial and astronomical biosignatures, and to develop ideas and methods that may be used for the detection of life beyond Earth. Pale Blue Dot III will also establish a two way dialogue between scientists and media that will facilitate lasting relationships, better media coverage of science, and enhanced public awareness and understanding of science.

Continue reading "Pale Blue Dot III Searching for Life on Distant Worlds (Terrestrial to Astronomical Biosignatures)" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 5:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Session 1: July 24 - July 28, 2006 (18 participants)
Session 2: July 31 - August 4, 2006 (18 participants)
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California

Applications are due May 15, 2006, for NASA's 18th Annual Planetary Science Summer School, which will hold two sessions this summer, July 24-28 and July 31 -August 4, at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California. Science and engineering post-doctoral and graduate students with a strong interest in careers in planetary exploration are encouraged to apply. Preference is given to U.S. citizens.

Continue reading "Planetary Science Summer School" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 4:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

U.S. Astrobiologists Convene Biannual Conference Amid Devastating NASA Budget Threats, SETI Institute

"Although astrobiology is clearly one of the most exciting and productive programs in the space science portfolio, the proposed FY 2007 NASA budget inexplicably aims to disembowel astrobiology research funding with a 50% cut. An astrobiology community Town Hall meeting will be held on March 28, 2006 from 1-2 p.m., at the Ronald Reagan Building, Amphitheater. This meeting is designed to be a forum for community members to comment on the proposed cuts and the implications to the field."

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

The Astrobiology Science Conference (AbSciCon) 2006 will be held March 26-30, 2006 in Washington, D.C., at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center. All are invited to join the astrobiology community at this exceptional facility that lies in the heart of Washington.

Posted by Keith Cowing at 4:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The NASA Astrobiology Institute (NAI) will hold its biennial member's meeting for 2005 in Boulder, Colorado at the Millennium Harvest House Hotel. NAI 2005 will be held April 11-14th (a three-and-a-half-day meeting), with Sunday, April 10th, set aside for splinter groups, local field trips, and primer sessions covering topics in astronomy, geology and biology. There will be no parallel sessions, and ample time is provided for poster presentations. We anticipate an engaging and stimulating event, addressing all aspects of astrobiology and the activities of the NAI.

Posted by Keith Cowing at 5:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Welcome to the third Astrobiology Science Conference! Astrobiology is a novel approach to the scientific study of the living universe. It seeks to understand the origin and evolution of life on Earth, to determine if life exists elsewhere in the universe, and to predict the future of life on Earth and in the rest of the universe. To this end it relies on a diversity of disciplines, and has inspired new metadisciplines.

Posted by Keith Cowing at 4:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

General Meeting of the NASA Astrobiology Insititute: Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ., February 10-12, 2003: Over the past five years, the research accomplishments of the Institute’s science teams have been interwoven with the linking efforts of our collaborative technologies and outreach activities. In this General Meeting, the Program Organizing Committee has mirrored our science content and our cooperative aspirations to create an agenda reflective of our priorities and interests. We gather to reinforce our personal interactions, our friendships, and to learn the latest from our colleagues—those familiar to us and those we will come to know over the next few days.

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

Welcome to the second Astrobiology Science Conference! Astrobiology is a novel approach to the scientific study of the living universe. It seeks to understand the origin and evolution of life on Earth, to determine if life exists elsewhere in the universe, and to predict the future of life on Earth and in the rest of the universe. To this end it relies on a diversity of disciplines, and has inspired new metadisciplines.

Posted by Keith Cowing at 4:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

General Meeting of the NASA Astrobiology Insititute, Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington D.C., April 10-12, 2001

Posted by Keith Cowing at 6:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Welcome to the first Astrobiology Science Conference! Astrobiology is a novel approach to the scientific study of the living universe. It seeks to understand the origin and evolution of life on Earth, to determine if life exists elsewhere in the universe, and to predict the future of life on Earth and in the rest of the universe. To this end it relies on a diversity of disciplines, and has inspired new metadisciplines.

Posted by Keith Cowing at 5:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Astrobiology Roadmap Workshop: Fundamental Questions, Specific Science Goals, and Measurement Objectives in Astrobiology, 20-22 July 1998

Goal: The Astrobiology Roadmap Workshop will be held July 20-22, 1998 at NASA Ames Research Center. The goal of the Workshop is to develop a research and development plan for the nascent field of Astrobiology for the 2000-2020 time frame, with focus on the first ten years.

Continue reading "Astrobiology Roadmap Workshop" »

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

First Astrobiology Workshop, 1996: Background and Purpose: Multidisciplinary research promises opportunities for important gains through cross-fertilization of ideas and the development of new perspectives. NASA scientists are charged with helping to bridge the gaps between traditional disciplines and working with the external scientific scientific community to identify and implement new ways for the agency to approach the challenge of understanding the living universe.

Continue reading "First Astrobiology Workshop" »

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