Editor's note: Three live webcams are now online at the Haughton-Mars Project Research Station on Devon Island: Webcam 1 |Webcam 2 | Webcam 3
Today's video: Charles Cockell from Open University talks about polar geomicrobiology at Trinity Lake on Devon Island (below)
Continue reading "Video and Live Webcams from Devon Island" »
Researchers from NAI's Penn State Team announced at the American Society of Microbiology General Meeting in Boston their discovery of a novel species of ultra-small bacteria that has survived for more than 120,000 years within the ice of a Greenland glacier at a depth of nearly two miles. The species is related genetically to certain bacteria found in fish, marine mud, and the roots of some plants, yet it has persisted in a low-temperature, high-pressure, reduced-oxygen, and nutrient-poor habitat. The study's authors speculate that it's unusual size helped enable it's survival in the ice for so long. [Source: NAI Newsletter]
The NAI is offering 3 scholarships to graduate students or postdocs, studying in the US, to attend the 2008 MedILS Summer School on Life in Extreme Conditions. This session, held from August 3 - 9 in Split, Croatia, will provide a venue to share current knowledge and develop new ideas and research projects around the topic of life in extreme conditions. The main focus of the school is on the evolution and maintenance of life in habitats such as eternal ice, hydrothermal vents, the bottom of the ocean, salt lakes, or other planets. Leading international lecturers will inform the participants about the latest developments and theories.
Continue reading "Summer School on Life in Extreme Conditions" »
Created by NAI's IPTAI Team the Exploring Deep Subsurface Life Workbook and DVD teaching materials highlight research sites at Harmony Gold Mine in South Africa, and Lupin Gold Mine and High Lake Mine in Nunavut Territory, Canada. The workbook's imagery invites the audience into the mine sites, and the lessons correspond to the astrobiology research carried out in the deep subsurface.
The video and animation materials support and compliment the lessons in the workbook and introduce the scientists. The materials can be accessed at: http://www.indiana.edu/~deeplife/epo_products.html [Source: NAI newsletter]
The NAI is pleased to sponsor travel scholarships for four graduate students (senior level) or postdoctoral fellows (with less than two years of postdoctoral training) to attend the Third International Polar and Alpine Microbiology Conference, to be held in Banff, Alberta, Canada, May 11-15, 2008. See the conference website for more details: http://www.polaralpinemicrobiology.com/. Each award will provide up to $2000 to defray the cost of economy airfare from US or Canadian cities and local travel, registration and up to four nights lodging at the workshop venue (shared room, if at all possible). Travel funds will be awarded on a competitive basis.
Astrobiology December 2007, 7(6): 1023-1032
http://www.liebertonline.com/doi/pdfplus/10.1089/ast.2006.0091
The shallow habitable region of cratonal crust deforms with a strain rate on the order of 1019 s1. This is rapid enough that small seismic events are expected on one-kilometer spatial scales and one-million-year timescales. Rock faulting has the potential to release batches of biological substrate, such as dissolved H2, permitting transient blooms.
Continue reading "Did Earthquakes Keep the Early Crust Habitable?" »
Astrobiology December 2007, 7(6): 1006-1022
http://www.liebertonline.com/doi/pdfplus/10.1089/ast.2007.0156
Europa is a prime target for astrobiology. The presence of a global subsurface liquid water ocean and a composition likely to contain a suite of biogenic elements make it a compelling world in the search for a second origin of life. Critical to these factors, however, may be the availability of energy for biological processes on Europa.
Continue reading "Energy, Chemical Disequilibrium, and Geological Constraints on Europa" »
Astrobiology December 2007, 7(6): 987-1005
http://www.liebertonline.com/doi/pdfplus/10.1089/ast.2007.0075
We examine means for driving hydrothermal activity in extraterrestrial oceans on planets and satellites of less than one Earth mass, with implications for sustaining a low level of biological activity over geological timescales. Assuming ocean planets have olivine-dominated lithospheres, a model for cooling-induced thermal cracking shows how variation in planet size and internal thermal energy may drive variation in the dominant type of hydrothermal system--for example, high or low temperature system or chemically driven system.
Continue reading "Hydrothermal Systems in Small Ocean Planets" »
Astrobiology December 2007, 7(6): 971-986
http://www.liebertonline.com/doi/pdfplus/10.1089/ast.2006.0096
Dissolved H2 concentrations up to the mM range and H2 levels up to 9-58% by volume in the free gas phase are reported for groundwaters at sites in the Precambrian shields of Canada and Finland. Along with previously reported dissolved H2 concentrations up to 7.4 mM for groundwaters from the Witwatersrand Basin, South Africa, these findings indicate that deep Precambrian Shield fracture waters contain some of the highest levels of dissolved H2 ever reported and represent a potentially important energy-rich environment for subsurface microbial life. The
Astrobiology December 2007, 7(6): 951-970
http://www.liebertonline.com/doi/pdfplus/10.1089/ast.2007.0150
Radiolysis of water may provide a continuous flux of an electron donor (molecular hydrogen) to subsurface microbial communities. We assessed the significance of this process in anoxic marine sediments by comparing calculated radiolytic H2 production rates to estimates of net (organic-fueled) respiration at several Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Leg 201 sites. Radiolytic H2 yield calculations are based on abundances of radioactive elements (uranium, thorium, and potassium), porosity, grain density, and a model of water radiolysis. Net respiration estimates are based on fluxes of dissolved electron acceptors and their products. Comparison of radiolytic H2 yields and respiration at multiple sites suggests that radiolysis gains importance as an electron donor source as net respiration and organic carbon content decrease.
Continue reading "Radiolytic Hydrogen and Microbial Respiration in Subsurface Sediments" »
Astrobiology December 2007, 7(6): 933-950
http://www.liebertonline.com/doi/pdfplus/10.1089/ast.2006.0119
Numerical models are employed to investigate sources of chemical energy for autotrophic microbial metabolism that develop during mixing of oxidized seawater with strongly reduced fluids discharged from ultramafic-hosted hydrothermal systems on the seafloor. Hydrothermal fluids in these systems are highly enriched in H2 and CH4 as a result of alteration of ultramafic rocks (serpentinization) in the subsurface. Based on the availability of chemical energy sources, inferences are made about the likely metabolic diversity, relative abundance, and spatial distribution of microorganisms within ultramafic-hosted systems.
Astrobiology December 2007, 7(6): 905-932
http://www.liebertonline.com/doi/pdfplus/10.1089/ast.2007.0128
In June 2003, the geochemical composition of geothermal fluids was determined at 9 sites in the Vulcano hydrothermal system, including sediment seeps, geothermal wells, and submarine vents. Compositional data were combined with standard state reaction properties to determine the overall Gibbs free energy (
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" »
Yellowstone research conducted by astrobiologists from NAI's new Montana State Team is highlighted in the new 30-minute film called "Invisible Yellowstone," produced by MSU's Thermal Biology Institute and MSU's Science and Natural History filmmaking program. Footage from the film was featured in an episode of National Geographic's Wild Chronicles television program, which can be previewed by visiting the TBI webpage: http://www.tbi.montana.edu/media/movieclips.html, and selecting #2 TBI Wild Chronicles. It is also available via DVD by contacting Susan Kelly at susank@montana.edu.
[Source: NAI Newsletter]
With support from NAI Teams at the Carnegie Institution of Washington and UC Berkeley, researchers at the American Type Culture Collection and their colleagues have a new paper in PLOS One describing a novel lineage of proteobacteria which are dominant in iron-rich hydrothermal vent sites on the Loihi Seamount near Hawai'i. They form a unique morphological structure which could serve as a fossil biomarker.
[Source: NAI Newsletter]
The High-Lakes project researches the high lakes of South America to provide insight to Mars, as the area is considered analogous. Nathalie Cabrol, a Planetary Geologist, has been working on the High-Lakes project for several years. In previous blogs, we covered a director's colloquium that Cabrol recently gave at the center. In this blog, we will cover more of the details learned from the High Lakes Project project, which studies Licancabur, Aguas Calientes, Poquentica, Escalante, Laguna Verde and Laguna Blanca lakes.
Continue reading "What is being learned from the High Lakes in South America?" »
Nathalie Cabrol, a planetary geologist for Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence (SETI) who works at NASA Ames and has been leading the High Lakes project for several years, has been documenting the changes in environment. In this blog, we will cover what has been learned specifically from the ultraviolet light at the lake. The High Lakes project covers research in the Licancabur, Aguas Calientes, Poquentica, Escalante, Laguna Verde and Laguna Blanca lakes. Previous blogs on the High Lakes Project have detailed some of the findings from this research.
NASA Arctic Mars Analog Svalbard Expedition Field Report (AMASE 2007): Arriving in Longyearbyen, Kirsten Fristad, NASA GSFC
"I became more and more excited the closer I got to Longyearbyen, Svalbard. After a busy year working in the SAM Lab at NASA Goddard I am returning to the arctic as part of the Arctic Mars Analog Svalbard Expedition, otherwise known as AMASE 07. No longer a 'newbie' to AMASE, I know I am quickly approaching long work days, sleepless nights and instrument malfunctions. I am also approaching jovial camaraderie, new experiences and the most beautiful landscapes I have ever set eyes on."
ESA AMASE student blog: Arrival at Longyearbyen, Thea Falkenbergand, ESA
"We arrived at Longyearbyen at about 14:00 yesterday with only a single suitcase missing, which fortunately turned up later when the rest of our cargo was located. About half of the expedition arrived on this flight, some with up to 200 kg overweight ;-)."
Arctic Mars Analog Svalbard Expedition
Previous AMASE postings (2006 and 2007)
Dr. John Hogan and Dr. Robert Bowman were given the opportunity to conduct a small trial of the Ames developed dwarf Arabidopsis plants this season at Devon Island where scientists are working on the Haughton-Mars Project. Devon Island, located at an extreme northern latitude, is viewed as a terrestrial analog for Mars. Last week the team sent experiment trays to Devon Island. A member of the Haughton-Mars Project team will run the experiment. The actual work is simple: just add water and photograph daily. The plants will be grown outside at the peak of the "summer" season where they will be exposed to continuous light and obviously cool temperatures. The intent of the Arabidopsis experiment is to see how the plants will perform in such harsh environments.
THE LIMITS OF ORGANIC LIFE IN PLANETARY SYSTEMS, a new report from the National Research Council, examines the search for life elsewhere in the universe and whether the fundamental requirements for life as we generally know it are the only ways phenomena recognized as "life" could be supported beyond our planet.
Continue reading "The National Academies Search for 'weird' life" »
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]
Special Session "Microbially mediated processes governing the redox cycling of metals" at the 2007 Goldschmidt Conference, Cologne (Germany) Session Organizers: Colleen Hansel, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University Andreas Kappler, Center for Applied Geoscience, University of Tübingen
Continue reading "Microbially mediated processes governing the redox cycling of metals" »
New research from NAI's SETI Institute Team published online in Icarus today outlines the empirical range of salt concentrations permitted for Europa's ocean. Solutions within the range imply high, near-saturation salt concentrations and require a Europan ice shell of less than 15 km thick, with a best fit at 4 km ice thickness. The paper examines the implications for subsurface habitability. [source: NAI Newsletter]
Pilot episodes of a new science television series, including one on "Extreme Virology," are available for viewing online. Produced by WIRED SCIENCE, a collaboration between WIRED Magazine and KCET/Los Angeles, these pilots may evolve into a larger PBS science program featuring astrobiology science topics. Check them out at: http://www.pbs.org/kcet/wiredscience/index.html [Source: Astrobiology Institute Newsletter]
Researchers from NAI's Carnegie Institution of Washington Team have published in Science their findings of a novel archaeon who's ability to fix nitrogen at 92 degrees Celcius has officially increased the upper limit of biological nitrogen fixation by 28 degrees Celcius. The hyperthermophilic methanogen was isolated from a hydrothermal vent. Thier findings could reveal a broader range of conditions for life in the subseafloor biosphere. [Source: NAI Newsletter]
Scientists from NAI's University of California, Berkeley Team report in Science on their use of shotgun sequencing to uncover three novel archea present in all biofilms growing in pH 0.5 to 1.5 solutions within the Richmond Mine, California. Their results inform the problem of characterizing microbial communities and lineages which are difficult to cultivate. [Source: NAI Newsletter]
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.
This summer Miles Ecclestone of Trent University, returned to our camp next to Colour Lake to continue making improvements to the McGill Arctic Research Station (M.A.R.S.) as part of an infrastructure upgrade. During this time, I asked Miles to download the images from our Campbell Scientific met station’s camera which is pointed across part of the airstrip and part of Colour Lake. We now have daily images (most taken at 9am and again at 1pm) from 17 April 2006 to 17 August 2006. The video contains the stream of images at about 1 second each. My previous blog provides more details of the station and the camera we use.
NAI investigators, led by Jake Maule of the CIW Team, are exploring the Kamchatka Peninsula in Eastern Russia. Kamchatka is a vast land of 'fire and ice', being home to 10% of the most active volcanoes on Earth with many surrounded by glaciers.
Continue reading "NAI Explores Most Active Volcanic Region on Earth & Brings the Public Along" »
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" »
Kirsten Fristad's NASA Arctic Mars Analog Svalbard Expedition Field Reports
"I stand at the window looking out over Sassenfjord. Our trip has come to an end. The sky is cool and the mountains around Longyearbyen are dark in comparison to the white glaciers in the distance. I am exhausted from the late nights and early mornings of the expedition, but am completely overcome by the beauty of this place."
Recent Reports:
Arctic Mars Analog Svalbard Expedition (AMASE) 2006, NASA
"In August, members of the Sample Analysis of Mars (SAM) Lab team will spend two and a half weeks in Svalbard. The objective of the Arctic Mars Analog Svalbard Expedition (AMASE) is to characterize the geology, geophysical features, biosignatures, and possible life forms of volcanic centers, warm springs, and perennial rivers, settings thought to be analogous to sites on ancient Mars. AMASE targets the Bockfjorden area of the Norwegian island of Svalbard, in hot-spring-deposited carbonate terraces."
Towards the end of our summer expedition while flying back to Eureka from our camp on Axel Heiberg, I spotted a lake with what appeared to be green ice on it.
Continue reading "Green ice, Ravens, Ice Caves and the Movie ‘Contact’" »
"A four-person team departs today for an expedition to the top of the world, where mineral-rich waters seep from the top of a 200-meter-thick glacier. Sulfur-bearing compounds precipitate from the waters and stain the glacial ice of Borup Fiord Pass, marking the locations of the springs with bright yellow splotches that are easily visible from the air. The place calls to mind the ruddy, sulfur-rich stains on the surface of Jupiter's moon Europa, and one of the expedition members is traveling there to gather samples and data that will help with the planning of future Europa missions."
News story
Backgrounder
[Source: Planetary Society]
The ISBOX-II expedition lead by Eric Gaidos of the University of Hawaii NAI team will drill and sample a subglacial lake for microbiology and geochemistry. The expedition takes place June 6-13, 2006. Details and progress of "ISBOX 2" can be found at: http://www.ifa.hawaii.edu/UHNAI/isbox2.htm [Source: NAI Newsletter]
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/