Artist Karen Jacobsen interprets her scientific illustrations in the Beyond the Edge of the Sea exhibit, on display at the University of Wisconsin, Madison.

Beyond the Edge of the Sea is a breath-taking exhibit consisting of hand-drawn scientific illustrations from hydrothermal vents experienced first hand by scientist Cindy Van Dover and artist Karen Jacobsen. Making its debut in Madison, WI recently, the exhibit was joined by these two collaborators and local residents reaped the benefits. After the opening reception, Van Dover and Jacobsen joined 350 middle school girls at the Expanding Your Horizons conference, an experience designed to give young women the chance to meet professional women in science. The girls used microscopes to explore and sketch microorganisms found in local lake water. Jacobsen went on to meet with art classes at the University of Wisconsin, Madison and the Madison Area Technical College where she spoke about and demonstrated science illustration techniques.

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

The 2nd International Workshop on "Microbial Life under Extreme Energy Limitation" will take place at Aarhus University May 6-9 2012. The workshop is intended to bring together scientists and graduate students from diverse disciplines of microbiology, biochemistry, biogeochemistry, and bioenergetic theory with the goal of developing our understanding of the energetic limits to microbial life. This has relevance for the deep biosphere, planetary biology, and microbial ecology in general.

The workshop will comprise invited lectures, contributed talks, an unlimited number of posters, and discussion sessions. Applications to participate are invited before March 1, 2012 in the form of a submitted abstract. The workshop is limited to 80 participants. Priority will be given to participants and abstracts of most relevance to the workshop, taking into account the importance of diversity among disciplines.

For more information: http://www.microenergy2012.org

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

Study challenges existence of arsenic-based life, Nature

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

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

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

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)

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

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

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

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

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

Source: NAI Newsletter

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

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

Date/Time: Monday, October 17th, 11am Pacific Time

Title: "Integrating Geochemistry and (Meta)genomics in the Geothermal Springs in Yellowstone National Park: Mapping the Functional Limits of Life in Early Earth Analog Environments"

Speaker: Eric Boyd, Montana State University

Abstract: The genetic record of extant microorganisms documents the interactions between life and the environment throughout Earth history.  This evolutionary link forms the basis of an emerging area of astrobiology research that is directed at quantifying the relationships between the distribution, diversity, and metabolic composition of microbial life and the characteristics of the environment that it inhabits.  The strong physical and chemical gradients and the relatively simple microbial diversity associated with geothermal environments makes them model environments for the development and application of techniques capable of quantifying the extent of such relationships. 

Our recent results have documented non-random patterns in the spatial distribution of individual genes [e.g., ribosomal (16S rDNA), nitrogenase (nifH), hydrogenase (hydA), chlorophyll biosynthesis (bchL)] in the geothermal springs in Yellowstone National Park (YNP), Wyoming, USA.  These results suggested that the microbial populations that harbor these genes have evolved specific physiological traits that enable them to inhabit a particular ecological niche (i.e., multiplicity of chemical and physical parameters that characterize a microenvironment).  To further examine this phenomenon and to uncover the traits facilitating niche conservatism in these communities, we investigated the composition of ~30 community metagenomes in YNP using a suite of ecological modeling tools. 

The results suggest that the metabolic composition of microbial mat communities can be accurately predicted based on the physicochemistry of the environment.  Of particular significance is the strict temperature-dependent demarcation noted between the metabolic composition of chemotrophic communities (supported by chemical energy) and phototrophic communities (supported by light energy) as well as the pH-dependent demarcation in the metabolic composition of chemotrophic communities.  Additional results from recent modeling and in situ activity-based studies will be presented that reveal the environmental constraints that define the distribution of metabolic processes in these early Earth analog environments.  Collectively, these results provide clues as to the parameters that drove the evolution of metabolic processes on Earth and also serve as a foundation for predicting the habitability of early Earth environments and newly discovered extraterrestrial planetary bodies.

For more information and connection information: http://astrobiology.nasa.gov/nai/seminars/detail/195

Posted by Keith Cowing at 9:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The first day of our adventure in the Mojave took us from the plains of the desert to the highest peaks of the sand dunes to the depths of the underground volcanic caves. Driving over the day before, we were greeted by Soda Lake, a lake that instead of water has a film of bicarbonate salt covering a bed of sulfuric mud. Following the path to our home for the week, we drove by a man-made pond with a fountain in the middle inhabited by an endangered species of fish called a Chub. The backdrop of our new home was the endless plains of the Mojave Desert.

The rise of the sun over the desert heralded the first day of our five day journey to find the key to the possibility of alien life. We piled into five cars and caravanned, leaving civilization behind us in our search for biological soil crusts, referred to as BSC, in the vast plains of the desert. Though its appearance resembles that of black, squishy mold; BSCs are a complex community of cyanobacteria, moss and lichen that represent how life can survive in extreme environments. The objective was to find a large enough population that would allow us to take samples without decimating the population since they take about fifty years to resurface. The samples were retrieved and will be analyzed in a lab in order to discover the mechanisms by which life can survive in such an extreme environment. Our next task was to find a section of desert that would allow us to take a sample of barren land and compare this to the life element found in the BSC samples that we collected.

We continued our journey through the desert to the seaming oasis of Kelso, a World War II boomtown, for lunch and stumbled upon a gem in the form of an educational video. We learned a lot about our next stop, the Cima Sand Dunes. These dunes were beautiful but deceitful. Despite their seemingly serene exterior they soon proved to be our greatest challenge. Our mission was to reach the highest point of the dunes in order to survey the landscape. After about an hour of treacherous trekking, we reached the base of the highest peak. We thought the most difficult part was over, but the adventure had just begun. As we started trudging up the steep hill, soon to be nicknamed "Mt. Doom", we discovered that the sandy texture of the soil made it difficult to progress...for every step we took up, we slid down 0.75 steps. Although the environment proved to be too extreme for some, the majority persevered. After a strenuous combination of hiking and crawling, we conquered Mt. Doom and in doing so superseded our own perceived mental and physical limitations. After we recovered, we embraced the view and enjoyed our feelings of accomplishment. In surveying the land, we noticed that there was a distinct border of plants and shrubs along the base of the dunes. On our climb down, we encountered individual blades of grass-like plants growing in the middle of the sand. The roots appeared to be endless so we hope to return in order to further investigate the mechanism of their survival.

Our expedition continued through a rocky road to the Lava Tubes. We observed gaps in the Earth formed by geologically 'young' (approximately 10,000-15,000 years old) magma. We then climbed down into the caves and observed the geological formation of the caves. It is possible that life could have existed at one point but due to constant human traffic, none can be observed currently.

Upon returning, we enjoyed a hot shower and a delicious and hearty meal followed by a very stimulating presentation and discussion about microbialites. Then it was straight to bed to prepare for the next day. Thus ended the first day of our adventures in the Mojave.

~FIN~

Cal Poly Pomona
Andrea Gonzalez
Alexandra Olano
Amina Razzak
Kara Rotunno
Sarah Saleemi

Posted by Keith Cowing at 9:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Today I was able to spend time with Jane Curnutt and Ernesto Gomez and Keith Schubert from the Computer Science and Engineering program at San Bernardino working on the Cellular Automata. We started talking about the radius and the neighborhoods that surrounding each cell, which is represented by a square. Each square has a radius of either 1, 2 or 3, each having a different neighborhood size. A radius one has a length of a side of a neighborhood square of 3 squares surrounding it, counting itself and diagonals. A radius of 2 has a length of a side of a square of 5, and a radius of 3 has a length of a side of the neighborhood of 7. The cell looks around in the neighborhood and if they find a square within their radius neighborhood, then they follow the rules set. For example we set the rules for the neighborhood of 0 to be unchanging. The rule for the neighborhood of 1 for life and the neighborhood of 2 for death. There are more neighborhoods to be set, but for the sake of the example we just set those different. We put one center square in the sea of brown, and clicked the button for an iteration, and watched the square grow. The space around the square grew, all the surrounding squares filled in with green, including the diagonals, creating a 3x3 square. We continued pushing the iteration button to see what would happen and the patterns that were created were symmetrical. Jane pointed out that the square started out with a 1, would create the same pattern as a 3x3 starting square as long as the rules for the neighborhoods were the same.

In order to understand the working of the program, we talked about how to bring the program into a classroom. We created an activity involving chairs and people acting like the cells. We talked about how to teach a student to think about the radius and the neighborhoods. The activity would have a set of chairs set up like a square and have a person sit in the middle or somewhere in the square of chairs, acting like a cell. They would sit down and reach around to figure out how big the length of the neighborhood side is based on the rule of radius. We set it like a radius 1 and had one person sit in the square and look to see if they can reach out to the chairs that is 1 away. Since all of the chairs can be reached, they count themselves and say that has 1 which means that cell grew. We put in people where the squares that were empty. And continued the activity according to the rules we set up.

I really enjoyed working with these people. I learned a lot about working in a classroom and trying to make the program that was designed to mimic patterns of bacteria or any form of growth pattern, can be taught to first graders in relation to patterns and counting. The activity we created for the classroom helped me understand how the program works. I was able to continue playing with the program itself and figure out some more patterns just by playing around with the neighborhood rules.

Cassandra Guido, California Polytechnic University San Luis Obispo

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

"Concerns have been raised about our recent study suggesting that arsenic (As) substitutes for phosphorus (P) in major biomolecules of a bacterium that tolerates extreme As concentrations. We welcome the opportunity to better explain our methods and results and to consider alternative interpretations. We maintain that our interpretation of As substitution, based on multiple congruent lines of evidence, is viable."

Full response at Science Express

Posted by Keith Cowing at 2:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Geomicrobiologist Felisa Wolfe-Simon, collecting lake-bottom sediments in the shallow waters of Mono Lake in California. Wolfe-Simon cultured the arsenic-utilizing organisms from this hypersaline and highly alkaline environment. Credit: (c)2010 Henry Bortman

One of the basic assumptions about life on Earth may be due for a revision thanks to research supported by NASA's Astrobiology Program. Geomicrobiologist Felisa Wolfe-Simon has discovered a bacterium in California's Mono Lake that uses arsenic instead of phosphorus in its DNA. Up until now, it was believed that all life required phosphorus as a fundamental piece of the 'backbone' that holds DNA together. The discovery of an organism that thrives on otherwise poisonous arsenic broadens our thinking about the possibility of life on other planets, and begs a rewrite of biology textbooks by changing our understanding of how life is formed from its most basic elemental building blocks.

Wolfe-Simon's research is supported by NASA's Exobiology and Evolutionary Biology (Exo/Evo) Program and the NASA Astrobiology Institute. Among the goals of these programs is determining the evolution of genes, metabolic pathways, and microbial species on Earth in order to understand the potential for life on other worlds. Wolfe-Simon's discovery represents the first time in the history of biology that an organism has been found to use a different element to build one of its most basic structures. The paper appeared in the December 2nd, 2010 issue of "Science Express" and subsequently published in the journal Science. [Source: NAI Newsletter]

Posted by Keith Cowing at 3:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Researchers from the NASA Astrobiology Program have discovered amino acids in a meteorite where none were expected. "This meteorite formed when two asteroids collided," said Dr. Daniel Glavin of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. "The shock of the collision heated it to more than 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit, hot enough that all complex organic molecules like amino acids should have been destroyed, but we found them anyway." Glavin is lead author of a paper on this discovery appearing December 13 in Meteoritics and Planetary Science. "Finding them in this type of meteorite suggests that there is more than one way to make amino acids in space, which increases the chance for finding life elsewhere in the Universe."

Continue reading "Building Blocks of Life Created in "Impossible" Place" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 3:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Second Genesis on Earth?, Washington Post

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

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

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

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

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

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)

CAREX (Coordination Action for Research Activities on life in Extreme Environments) is a Coordination project funded by the European Commission. This project tackles the issues of enhancing coordination of research on life in extreme environments in Europe by i) developing a strategic European research agenda in the field and ii) providing networking and exchange of knowledge opportunities to the scientific community.

CAREX is a truly interdisciplinary initiative as its approach to life in extreme environment covers microorganisms, plants and animals evolving in various marine, polar, terrestrial extreme environments as well as outer space.

In order to achieve its objectives, CAREX work program has been developed around four lines of actions:

Scientific Priority setting

CAREX's high level scientific workshops addressed the issues of Model Ecosystems (November 2008), Technology and Infrastructures (December 2008) and Model Organisms (June 2009). The main outcomes and findings from these events are being integrated into a European roadmap for research on life in extreme environments (available in December 2010) Databases

CAREX website hosts an open searchable directory of international experts, a database of life in extreme environments research projects and a portfolio of specific infrastructures and technologies. Exchange of Knowledge

Through the organisation of field trips, a laboratory seminar, a summer school and the award of short visit grants, CAREX catalyses the transfer of knowledge and exchange of best practices among the scientific community and towards young researchers.

Information Hub

CAREX website provides an interactive platform for the exchange of information, job and funding opportunities, news and events specific to life in extreme environment research. Website address for further information: www.carex-eu.org

Posted by Keith Cowing at 11:52 PM | 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)

Beyond the Edge of the Sea is an exhibition of the work of scientific illustrator Karen Jacobsen. She has accompanied Dr. Cindy Lee Van Dover of Duke University in the deep-sea submersible Alvin numerous times to locations across the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, exploring hydrothermal vent ecosystems. This unique collaboration has yielded a vast collection of extraordinary drawings and paintings. The traveling exhibition highlights five newly commissioned pieces, and features over 70 works selected from Jacobsen's sketchbooks.

The exhibition is on display currently at Penn State University where several events have been organized to highlight it, including a scientific colloquium, presentations at local middle school classrooms, an educator workshop (in collaboration with NSF's Ridge 2000 program), and several public lectures. The exhibition will also highlight two public events, Penn State's Exploration Day and Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts, at which two related films will accompany the exhibit, "Aliens of the Deep" and "Volcanoes of the Deep Sea."

If you're interested in the exhibition coming to a venue near you, please contact Daniella Scalice, daniella.m.scalice@nasa.gov, 650.604.4024.

[Source: NAI Newsletter]

Posted by Keith Cowing at 5:50 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)

Rocco Mancinelli, PI of NAI's Emeritus Team at the SETI Institute, will use a zeppelin airship to observe red salt ponds turn green while the environment is changed from near-Martian conditions into wetlands. Work will begin next year on a decades-long project to restore thousands of acres of industrial salt-harvesting ponds in San Francisco Bay into native wetland habitat. The ponds are colored red because of the color of microbes that flourish in the extremely salty conditions. Green microbes will replace red ones as the wetlands are restored.

For more information: http://www.sfexaminer.com/local/Salt-ponds-could-be-clue-to-life-on-Mars-79280337.html [Source NAI Newsletter]

Posted by Keith Cowing at 1:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Eric Boyd of the Montana State University Astrobiology Biogeocatalysis Research Center (MSUABRC) recently led an expedition to Robertson Glacier to examine the microbiology and geochemistry of subglacial environments as it applies to Mars exploration. The field expedition also involved researchers John Peters, director of MSUABRC, Mark Skidmore (MSU), and Matt Urschel (MSU); Everett Shock and Jeff Havig of the Arizona State University Follow the Elements team, and Kevin Hand of the Jet Propulsion Lab Icy Worlds team.

Continue reading "Expedition to Robertson Glacier, Kananaskis Country, Alberta, Canada" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 3:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This summer, sixteen teachers from around the world convened with NAI's team at Montana State University for a week-long class called "Examining Life in Extreme Environments: Insights into Early Earth and Beyond." Students in the course gained an understanding of the relation of extreme environments to early Earth, learned about the latest research conducted in these areas, and worked on how to teach and discuss these topics within their own classrooms.

Continue reading "Teachers from Around the World Examine Life in Extreme Environments" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 12:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This summer, sixteen teachers from around the world convened with NAI's team at Montana State University for a weeklong class called "Examining Life in Extreme Environments: Insights into Early Earth and Beyond." Students in the course gained an understanding of the relation of extreme environments to early earth, learned about the latest research conducted in these areas, and worked on how to teach and discuss these topics within their own classrooms.

Continue reading "Teachers from Around the World Examine Life in Extreme Environments" »

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

• AMASE blog 2009: SLIce: Searching for Signatures of Life in Ice
• AMASE Blog 2009: Flying to Bockfjorden
• AMASE blog - August 9: Lance arriving
• AMASE blog - August 8: Science in NyAlesund
• AMASE blog - August 6: Athena (FIDO) rocks!
• AMASE 2009: Day 1: Arrival At Svalbard
• AMASE 2009 Expedition Takes Off in the Arctic

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

The Lassen Astrobiology Student Internship Program, a collaboration between NAI's Ames team, Lassen Volcanic National Park, and Red Bluff High School, will wrap up its first year of activity in August. Nine high school students and their chemistry teacher, with training from NAI scientists and under the supervision of a park ranger, have made eight field trips to various sites within the park throughout the course of the school year. They monitored field sites and made seasonal measurements of temperature, pH, and water chemistry of the hydrothermal features. PBS station KNPB, Reno, NV, interviewed the students while sample collections were underway. A feature presentation about the program was aired in June.

Continue reading "Students Monitor Hydrothermal Features in Lassen Volcanic National Park" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 4:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The importance of hypersaline environments over geological time, the discovery of similar habitats on Mars, and the importance of methane as a biosignature gas combine to compel an understanding of the factors important in controlling methane released from hypersaline microbial mat environments. To further this understanding, changes in stable carbon isotopes of methane and possible methanogenic substrates in microbial mat communities were investigated as a function of salinity here on Earth. Microbial mats were sampled from four different field sites located within salterns in Baja California Sur, Mexico. Salinities ranged from 50 to 106 parts per thousand (ppt).

Continue reading "Isotopic Composition of Methane and Inferred Methanogenic Substrates Along a Salinity Gradient in a Hypersaline Microbial Mat System" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 2:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) and 16S rDNA analysis were used to characterize the endolithic colonization of silica-rich rhyolitic glass (obsidian) in a barren terrestrial volcanic environment in Iceland. The rocks were inhabited by a diverse eubacterial assemblage. In the interior of the rock, we identified cyanobacterial and algal 16S (plastid) sequences and visualized phototrophs by FISH, which demonstrates that molecular methods can be used to characterize phototrophs at the limits of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR).

Continue reading "A Cryptoendolithic Community in Volcanic Glass" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 9:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Research conducted in Yellowstone National Park by astrobiologists from NAI's Montana State Team is highlighted in the 30-minute film *Invisible Yellowstone*, produced by MSU's Thermal Biology Institute and MSU's Science and Natural History filmmaking program. The film is available on DVD by contacting Daniella Scalice at daniella.m.scalice@nasa.gov .

[Source: NAI Newsletter]

Posted by Keith Cowing at 11:04 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)

Availability of reduced nitrogen is considered a prerequisite for the genesis of life from prebiotic precursors. Most atmospheric and oceanic models for the Hadean Earth predict a mildly oxidizing environment that is conducive to the formation and stability of only oxidized forms of nitrogen.

Continue reading "Inorganic Nitrogen Reduction and Stability under Simulated Hydrothermal Conditions" »

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

Our group is investigating bacterial spore viability in extreme environments. We currently focus on the following specific areas: (1) development of an endospore viability assay based on dipicolinic acid detection, (2) investigation of the microbial ecology of desert soils, permafrost, and Antarctic ice, (3) development of field-instrumentation for deployment in extreme environments. This works relates to NASA s strategic goals of investigating past or present habitable environment on Mars or other worlds by focusing on the boundary conditions for life in extreme environments on Earth. Deadline: Feb 1, 2009 http://fellowships.hq.nasa.gov/gsrp/research/detail.cfm?oppID=784

Source: [NASA Graduate Student Researchers Program (GSRP)]

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

This past October 29th, Nathalie Cabrol of NASA Ames Research Center and her team traveled to the highest volcanic lakes in the world to continue her work on the NAI-funded High Lakes Project (HLP). At this time, in the 6th year of the project, the team is, right now, busy collecting data to characterize the response of these lakes to climate variability in one of the best terrestrial environmental analogs to early Mars.

To share in the ongoing adventure, see this project's blog, read up on the science and enjoy some great pictures, visit the project website at http://cabrol.seti.org/HLP2008/HLP2008.html

Source: NAI Newsletter

Posted by Keith Cowing at 8:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Scientists have brought the ENDURANCE underwater vehicle to Lake Bonney, a perpetually ice-covered salt lake located in Antarctica's McMurdo Dry Valleys.

ENDURANCE, an autonomous vehicle designed to swim untethered under ice, will spend a month creating three-dimensional maps of the underwater environment. It also will collect data on the environmental conditions and take samples of microbial life. If all goes well, in the future NASA could send a similar probe to explore the ocean on Jupiter's icy moon Europa.

Read the daily blog entries written by scientists in the field as they work in Earth's coldest environment, testing the limits of ENDURANCE.

Continue reading "ENDURANCE Dives Under the Ice in Antarctica's Lake Bonney" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 2:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Jennifer Eigenbrode: Ice is a cryogenic vault for preserving organics and other materials that may record planetary processes. On Earth, cold temperatures retard against hydrolysis and oxidation, which degrade biomolecules and other organics, allowing traces of life to persist in the presence of impurities. We are exploring the dilute biological and organic inventory contained within modern glacial ice on Earth in order to understand the habitat of microorganisms in near-surface glacial ice and to distinguish allochthonous from autochthonous organic records.

Continue reading "Records of Life in Ice: Opening the Cryogenic Vault" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 8:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Starting January 1, 2009, a new 4-year program will investigate hydrothermal systems on the Mid-Cayman Spreading Center (MCSC) under NASA's ASTEP program - a joint collaboration between Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), the Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) and Duke University Marine Laboratory (DUML). The results of the work will be used to plan astrobiological exploration of any planetary body that can host hydrothermal circulation (for example, Europa).

Continue reading "2 PhD Student and 2 Postdoctoral Researcher Positions- Hydrothermal Activity on the Mid-Cayman Spreading Center" »

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

Damhnait Gleeson: Borup Fiord Pass, located on the Canadian Arctic Island of Ellesmere, represents the only known site on Earth where sulfur minerals and glacial ice are found in intimate association. Spring waters access the surface of the ice during the melt season each year, depositing elemental sulfur, gypsum and calcite and exsolving H2S. The sulfur signature of the spring deposits is extensive enough to be detected and monitored from orbital satellite observations and an autonomous onboard classifier can provide temporal coverage of spring activity. Diverse microbial communities are active within the deposits and are mediating the geochemistry of the deposits by the sulfur redox transformations from which they gain energy. Cultivation experiments targeting sulfide-oxidizing members of the microbial community have isolated microorganisms from the spring deposits which are producing biomineralized sulfur structures in culture.

Continue reading "An Arctic Analog to Europa: Signs of Life on the Ice" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 8:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

An ecosystem discovered 2.8 kilometers underground in the Mponeng Gold Mine near Johannesburg, South Africa two years ago has now been shown to comprise only a single species of microbe, existing on energy from radioactivity, completely independently of the Sun. The community of rod-shaped bacteria of the species Desulforudis audaxviator was discovered in 2005-06 by members of the NAI's Indiana-Princeton-Tennessee Astrobiology Initiative (IPTAI) Team. Their current results are presented in the October 10th issue of Science.

Continue reading "Life Without the Sun" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 8:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Researchers from NAI's Penn State, MBL, and UCLA Teams have completed a study of the subseafloor marine biosphere, which may be one of the largest reservoirs of microbial biomass on Earth, and which has recently been the subject of debate in terms of the composition of its microbial inhabitants. Their metagenomic analysis indicates that the subsurface environment is the most unique studied to date, distinct in its microbial make-up from the surface waters.

Continue reading "Marine Subsurface is a Distinct Microbial Habitat" »

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

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" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 8:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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]

Posted by Keith Cowing at 3:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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" »

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

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]

Posted by Keith Cowing at 8:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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.

Continue reading "NAI Travel Scholarships Available for the International Conference on Polar and Alpine Microbiology" »

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

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?" »

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

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" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 9:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 9:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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

Continue reading "Hydrogeologic Controls on Episodic H2 Release from Precambrian Fractured Rocks--Energy for Deep Subsurface Life on Earth and Mars" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 9:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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" »

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

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.

Continue reading "Geochemical Constraints on Sources of Metabolic Energy for Chemolithoautotrophy in Ultramafic-Hosted Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Systems" »

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

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 (

Continue reading "Temporal Changes in Fluid Chemistry and Energy Profiles in the Vulcano Island Hydrothermal System" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 9:42 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)

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]

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

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]

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

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?" »

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

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.

Continue reading "Life Exisists at the High Lakes in South America Despite the Constant Exposure to Ultraviolet Light" »

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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)

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" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 8:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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]

Posted by Keith Cowing at 12:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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

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

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]

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

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]

Posted by Keith Cowing at 1:18 AM | 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)

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.

Posted by Dale Andersen at 10:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 11:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Fall AGU Session: Biofilms in the environment: Adaptive roles, microbe-mineral interfaces, and contributions to global biogeochemical cycles

In most natural environments microbial communities are associated with surfaces in structures known as "biofilms". Numerous observations from terrestrial and marine subsurface settings, hot springs, and acidic mine drainage attest to the importance of the biofilm mode-of-life.

Continue reading "Fall AGU Session: Biofilms in the environment" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 11:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Kirsten Fristad's NASA Arctic Mars Analog Svalbard Expedition Field Reports

"I stand at the window looking out over Sassenfjord. Our trip has come to an end. The sky is cool and the mountains around Longyearbyen are dark in comparison to the white glaciers in the distance. I am exhausted from the late nights and early mornings of the expedition, but am completely overcome by the beauty of this place."

Recent Reports:

Continue reading "AMASE 2006 Updates" »

Posted by Keith Cowing at 9:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Arctic Mars Analog Svalbard Expedition (AMASE) 2006, NASA

"In August, members of the Sample Analysis of Mars (SAM) Lab team will spend two and a half weeks in Svalbard. The objective of the Arctic Mars Analog Svalbard Expedition (AMASE) is to characterize the geology, geophysical features, biosignatures, and possible life forms of volcanic centers, warm springs, and perennial rivers, settings thought to be analogous to sites on ancient Mars. AMASE targets the Bockfjorden area of the Norwegian island of Svalbard, in hot-spring-deposited carbonate terraces."

Posted by Keith Cowing at 2:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Towards the end of our summer expedition while flying back to Eureka from our camp on Axel Heiberg, I spotted a lake with what appeared to be green ice on it.

Continue reading "Green ice, Ravens, Ice Caves and the Movie ‘Contact’" »

Posted by Dale Andersen at 6:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

"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]

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

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]

Posted by Keith Cowing at 11:51 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)