The Astrobiology Network

39th COSPAR (Committee on Space Research) Scientific Assembly

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

CPS 9th International School of Planetary Sciences Across the Earth Into Exoplanets

Date: 24 - 29 June, 2012
Location: Kobe, JAPAN
The objective of the school is to promote education and research in planetary sciences for highly motivated graduate students and young researchers by providing them with an opportunity to interact with leading scientists in a specific field. Note that the term "Planetary Sciences" is used in a broader sense to include astronomy, astrophysics, astrochemistry, astrobiology, astromineralogy, geosciences, space science, cosmology, and other related fields.

For more information visit: https://www.cps-jp.org/~pschool/pub/2012-06-24/index.html

IAU Symposium 293: Formation, Detection, and Characterization of Extrasolar Habitable Planets

Date: 27 - 31 August, 2012
Location: Beijing, China

*Abstract deadline: February 29, 2012
Early Registration deadline: February 29, 2012*

The past few years have witnessed significant developments in extrasolar planetary science. Several Earth-like planets and super-Earths have been detected in the habitable zones of their host stars and more than 1200 planetary candidates have been announced. On the theoretical front, these discoveries have triggered extensive research on the formation, dynamical evolution, interior dynamics, and atmospheric characteristics of extrasolar habitable planets. The IAU symposium 293 will bring together scientists from around the world to present new discoveries, and discuss ideas on the formation, detection, and characterization of extrasolar habitable planets.

For complete meeting information visit: http://www.ifa.hawaii.edu/iau293/index.html

Limited number of travel support is available for US and international participants. More information and application can be found at http://www.ifa.hawaii.edu/iau293/travel.html

For more information and questions regarding the conference contact Nader Haghighipour nader@ifa.hawaii.edu.

Workshop: Transiting Planets in the House of the Sun

A Workshop on M Dwarf Stars and Their Planets

Maui, June 3-6, 2012

This workshop will provide an introductory but authoritative review of M dwarf stars and the detection, formation, and potential habitability of their planets. It is principally intended for advanced graduate students and junior postdocs, but investigators at all levels are welcome to apply. The workshop will consist of invited lectures, contributed research presentations, and a field trip to the summit and observatory of Haleakala to observe the transit of Venus across the Sun.

Venue: Institute for Astronomy Maui Maikalani/ATRC, Pukalani, Maui

Convenor: Eric Gaidos

Science Organizing Committee: John Rayner (chair), Eric Hilton, Adam Kraus, Jonathan Williams, Nader Haghighipour, Joost van Summeren

The workshop is limited to 45 participants and selection will be based on relevance of applicant's research to the workshop themes, with preference given to advanced graduate students and junior postdocs. There is no workshop fee, but participants are responsible for their travel and accommodations. Economy (dormitory-style) housing may be available for students upon request. Logistical information will be made available on this website.

To apply, send a CV (2 page max) and conference abstract (1 page max) to: mauitransit@gmail.com before March 1, 2012

For more information: http://www.soest.hawaii.edu/GG/FACULTY/GAIDOS/haleakala.html

Comparative Climatology of Terrestrial Planets

The conference on Comparative Climatology of Terrestrial Planets will be held June 25-28, 2012, at the Hotel Boulderado, located at 2115 Thirteenth Street, Boulder CO 80302.

Comparative Climatology of Terrestrial Planets will explore the differences and similarities between the climates of terrestrial planets in the solar system and beyond. With an emphasis on experimental methods and models, the synergies between Earth science, planetary science, heliophysics, and exoplanet studies will be exploited to identify objectives for future research and missions.

The goal of this conference is to look at climate in the broadest sense possible -- by comparing the processes at work on the four terrestrial bodies, Earth, Venus, Mars, and Titan (Titan is included because it hosts many terrestrial processes), and on terrestrial planets around other stars. These processes include the interactions of shortwave and thermal radiation with the atmosphere, condensation and vaporization of volatiles, atmospheric dynamics and chemistry, and the role of the surface and interior in the long-term evolution of climate. Conference talks will compare the scientific questions, methods, numerical models, and spacecraft remote sensing experiments for Earth and the other planets, with the goal of identifying objectives for future research and missions. The conference is an opportunity for planetary scientists to survey current work on the best-studied terrestrial planet, and for climate scientists to reflect on how familiar processes on Earth produce such different outcomes in other "laboratories."

For more information: http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/climatology2012/

Introducing the Habitable Exoplanets Catalog

New from the Planetary Habitability Laboratory at the University of Puerto Rico, Arecibo, the Habitable Exoplanets Catalog is an online database for scientists, educators, and the general public focused on potential habitable exoplanet discoveries. The catalog uses various habitability indices and classifications to identify, rank, and compare exoplanets, including potential satellites or exomoons.

The database suggests over 15 exoplanets and 30 exomoons as potential habitable candidates.

Scientists are now starting to identify potential habitable exoplanets after nearly twenty years of the detection of the first planets around other stars. Over 700 exoplanets have been detected and confirmed with thousands more still waiting further confirmation by missions such as NASA Kepler. Most of these are gas giants, similar to Jupiter and Neptune, but orbiting very dangerously close to their stars. Only a few have the right size and orbit to be considered suitable for any life.

Now the Planetary Habitability Laboratory (PHL) of the University of Puerto Rico at Arecibo (UPR Arecibo) presents a new assessment of the habitability of these worlds as part of its Habitable Exoplanets Catalog (HEC). The catalog not only identifies new potential habitable exoplanets, including exomoons like the Pandora world in the movie Avatar, but also ranks them according to various habitability indices.

For more information: http://phl.upr.edu/projects/habitable-exoplanets-catalog

Beyond the Edge of the Sea, in Wisconsin

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.

2nd International Workshop on "Microbial Life under Extreme Energy Limitation"

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

TEDxAlbany-John Delano-Is Anyone else out There?

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

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

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

7th International Symbiosis Society Congress: The Earth's Vast Symbiosphere

Date: 22 - 28 July, 2012
Location: Krakow, Poland

http://www.eko.uj.edu.pl/symbiosis/
Hosted by one of the oldest and prominent universities in Europe, Jagiellonian University, the meeting will welcome hundreds of researchers, educators, and students from around the world, all of whom are immersed in some aspect of symbiosis. Held every three years and organized by the International Symbiosis Society, the Congress is one of the most unique gatherings of life science research specialists in the world.

As symbiotic systems encompass and even dominate many phyla and most domains and kingdoms, it is a venue wherein an expert in coral-dinoflagellates will exchange ideas, results, methods, and perspectives with a mycorrhizae or lichen specialist. Those in the vast field of insect symbioses interact with those in the legume-nitrogen fixing realm. In this sense, the term "symbiosis," applies very well to the Congress experience, as extended exchanges, long-term relationships, and new lineages of thought emerge from this diverse human community.

Postdoctoral Positions for the Deep Life Initiative of the Deep Carbon Observatory

The Deep Life Directorate of the Deep Carbon Observatory (sponsored by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation) will investigate the microbiology of the rock-hosted subsurface biosphere. Microbial communities contained within rock-hosted subsurface environments may be important conduits for the exchange of carbon and energy between the deep Earth and the biosphere- yet surprisingly little is known of their extent, their identities, or their activities. The research specifically addresses microbial carbon transformations in environments influenced by high hydrogen fluxes and abiogenic production of organic molecules. The research team consists of 17 scientists from 7 countries and contains both field and laboratory components. The Directorate seeks candidates for multiple Postdoctoral positions to work within this cooperative framework.

]]> High Pressure Microbiology: Recently, unique environments deep beneath the continents and oceans have been sampled and we invite applications for a postdoctoral position to develop experimental approaches that will provide novel piezophilic cultivars whose activities can be investigated under in situ pressure-temperature conditions. This is a joint project between Isabelle Daniel's Lab at the Universite Claude Bernard Lyon 1 (France) and Doug Bartlett's lab at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, San Diego, CA (USA). Candidates should be highly motivated by research on the subsurface biosphere and have experience with experimental microbiology and/or spectroscopy under high pressure conditions.

Molecular Geomicrobiology: We invite applications for a postdoctoral position that will link stable isotope based approaches with metagenomic and transcriptomic studies of microbial metabolism of specific carbon compounds. The postdoc will be based in Matt Schrenk's lab at East Carolina University (North Carolina, USA) with collaborators at the Marine Biological Laboratory (J. Huber). The postdoc will participate in analysis of samples from the high pH Coast Range Ophiolite serpentinite ecosystem and the Mid Cayman Rise deep-sea hydrothermal system. Applicants should have experience with microbial cultivation, molecular biology, and stable isotope analysis.

Hydrothermal Vent Microbiology: We invite applications for a postdoctoral position in hydrothermal vent microbiology in Julie Huber's lab at the Marine Biological Laboratory (Woods Hole, MA). The postdoc will participate in analysis of samples from the Mid Cayman Spreading Center, Earth's deepest mid-ocean ridge, with an emphasis on using next generation sequencing tools to determine microbial community structure and functional repertoire at the site. These data will serve as a vital input for models of energy flow through deep-sea hydrothermal systems and help to constrain the pathways and controlling factors for microbially-mediated carbon cycling in subsurface ecosystems fueled by water-rock reactions. The successful applicant must hold a Ph.D. in microbiology, oceanography, or a related field and possess experience with metagenomic datasets, bioinformatics, and molecular biology.

Deep Subsurface Microbial Biogeography and Evolutionary Processes: We invite applications for two postdoctoral positions focusing on the application of single cell genomic analyses to subsurface communities sampled from deep boreholes and mine sites located in Finland, Canada and South Africa. The postdoctoral research associates will be based at the University of the Free State (Bloemfontein, South Africa) and Princeton University (Princeton, NJ, USA) and also spend time working at the Single Cell Genomics Center at the Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences (Maine, USA). This 2 year research project will involve collection, single cell screening, genome sequencing and bioinformatic comparisons of communities from continental subsurface biospheres. A successful applicant must hold a Ph.D. in microbiology or a related field and have experience in assembly, annotation, and bioinformatics analyses of genomes.

For any of the positions please submit three items to the appropriate contact listed below: (i) a cover letter describing your research goals and your specific motivation to join the project, (ii) a CV, and (iii) contact information for three references, including your Ph.D. supervisor.

High Pressure Microbiology position: Prof. Isabelle Daniel (isabelle.daniel@univ-lyon1.fr)
Molecular Geomicrobiology position: Matt Schrenk (schrenkm@ecu.edu)
Hydrothermal Vent Microbiology position: Julie Huber (jhuber@mbl.edu)
Deep Subsurface Microbial Biogeography: T.C. Onstott (tullis@princeton.edu)
Applications should be received by March 1, 2012, but will be considered on an ongoing basis.

Sign up for FameLab Astrobiology--Houston!

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

Fossil Record, Meet Molecular Clock

Arthropod expansion in morphological disparity following the Cambrian Explosion of Bilateria, as demonstrated by the Burgess Shale trilobite Olenoides and stem-Chelicerate Sidneyia. Image Credit: Smithsonian Institution, courtesy of Douglas Erwin.

A team of researchers including members of NAI's MIT team have married fossil records with molecular clock studies to reveal a new interpretation of the Cambrian explosion. Collectively these data allow an understanding of the environmental potential, genetic and developmental possibility, and ecological opportunity that existed before and during the Cambrian. The study compares the times of origin of major animal groups (from the molecular clock) with the times of their first appearance in the fossil record. The team shows that the major animal groups first diverged during the Cryogenian, roughly 300 million years prior to their appearance in the fossil record, and acquired the key components of their developmental toolkits early in their history. After a long lag, the groups' major ecological successes are reflected in the records of the Ediacaran and Cambrian. Their paper appears in the current issue of Science.

Earth's Early Atmosphere: An Update

Scientists from NAI's New York Center for Astrobiology at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have used the oldest minerals on Earth to reconstruct the atmospheric conditions present on Earth very soon after its birth. The findings, which appear in the December 1, 2011 issue of Nature, are the first direct evidence of what the ancient atmosphere of the planet was like soon after its formation and directly challenge years of research on the type of atmosphere out of which life arose on the planet.

The scientists show that the atmosphere of Earth just 500 million years after its creation was not a methane-filled wasteland as previously proposed, but instead was much closer to the conditions of our current atmosphere. The findings, in a paper titled "The oxidation state of Hadean magmas and implications for early Earth's atmosphere," have implications for our understanding of how and when life began on this planet and could begin elsewhere in the universe.

For more information: http://astrobiology.nasa.gov/articles/earth-s-early-atmosphere-an-update/

Canadian Astrobiology Training Program MSc, PhD, Post Doctoral Fellow Positions Available

The Canadian Astrobiology Training Program (CATP) is the first Canadian cross-disciplinary, multi-institutional undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral training program in Astrobiology and is a NSERC-funded Collaborative Research and Training Experience Program (CREATE) (2009-2015) located at McGill University, McMaster University, University of Western Ontario, University of Toronto, and the University of Winnipeg. CATP by its very nature will be accomplished through collaborative and integrative research approaches containing elements of geology, chemistry, physics, astronomy, microbiology, and robotics. CATP trainees (~70 graduate & undergraduate students, PDFs over the next 5 years) will be exposed to innovative research and training approaches, combining fieldwork at unique Canadian analogue sites, including those in the high Arctic, with laboratory work at cutting edge analytical facilities at participating university, government, and industry partners.

]]> Shared expertise within and among institutions will be provided by means of course and seminar videoconferencing, and interdisciplinary supervision. Professional training will be enhanced by training rotations with our collaborators at CSA, MDA Space Missions, and our international partners, including NASA Ames. CATP highly qualified personnel (HQP) trained in various aspects of astrobiology will be at the forefront of the search for life beyond the Earth. Indeed, CATP will address the recognized lack of HQP in space science and lead to new scientific opportunities and promote Canadian participation in future missions to Mars. The skills acquired through this program will be directly transferable to various other disciplines, such as Earth and environmental sciences, robotics, medicine, and astronomy.

We are presently seeking applicants for Graduate Student Fellowships (MSc and PhD) and Post Doctoral Fellowship (PDF) positions available in 2012.

Successful applicants will have a strong interest in astrobiology and have an excellent background in microbiology/ molecular biology, geology, chemistry, physics, astronomy, and/or robotics or other related disciplines.

Applications will be received until January 25, 2012.

For detailed information on the CATP and how to apply, please visit the CATP website (http://create-astrobiology.mcgill.ca/) or please directly contact:

Mr. Robert Oxley
NSERC CREATE CATP Project Coordinator
McGill University
Telephone: (514) 398 7824
Email: robert.oxley@mcgill.ca