2002 Annual Science Report
Astrobiology Roadmap Objective 7.0 Reports Reporting | JUL 2001 – JUN 2002
Roadmap Objective 7.0—Identify the environmental limits for life by examining biological adaptations to extremes in environmental conditions.
Project Reports
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Eukaryotic Origins and the Evolution of Cellular Complexity – Eukaryotic rRNA Evolution: Early Diverging Eukaryotes
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 2.0 4.0 7.0 -
The Virtual Planetary Laboratory – the Life Modules
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 3.0 5.0 6.0 7.0 11.0 13.0 -
Subsurface Biospheres
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 6.0 7.0 -
Bacterial Adaptation to Low Temperatures
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 4.0 6.0 7.0 16.0 -
Geobiology and Geochemistry of Early Earth and Mars
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.0 5.0 6.0 7.0 8.0 -
Benner – Self-Reproducing Molecular Systems and Darwinian Chemistry
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0 6.0 7.0 8.0 9.0 12.0 13.0 14.0 16.0 17.0 -
Hydrothermal Organic Synthesis
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.0 2.0 3.0 7.0 8.0 9.0 11.0 13.0 -
First-Stage Biofilm Formation Under Extreme Conditions in Ice
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 6.0 7.0 14.0 -
Morphologic Biomarkers and Microbial Ecology
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 5.0 6.0 7.0 8.0 17.0 -
Evolution of Atmospheric O2, Climate, and Biosphere – Hiroshi Ohmoto
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.0 2.0 5.0 6.0 7.0 10.0 12.0 14.0 15.0 -
Theoretical Studies of Hydrothermal Synthesis Reactions
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.0 2.0 3.0 5.0 7.0 8.0 9.0 -
Genomic and Proteomic Analysis of Permafrost Bacteria
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 4.0 7.0 15.0 16.0 -
Origin and Early Evolution of Photosynthesis
Work on the origin and early evolution of photosynthesis is carried out by a highly interdisciplinary team of scientists from several different institutions. The overall theme is understanding the origin and early evolution of photosynthesis and its effect on the biosphere. This year four main aspects have been emphasized: (1) whole genome comparative analyses of photosynthetic organisms, (2) the search for phototrophs in non-solar environments around hydrothermal vents, (3) field and laboratory studies of photosynthetic organisms in thermophilic and iron-rich environments and (4) Biochemical analysis of primitive phototrophic organisms. Each of these projects has seen significant progress, as described below.
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 3.0 4.0 5.0 6.0 7.0 -
Fractionation of Transition Metal Isotopes
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 5.0 7.0 8.0 -
Diversity of Eukaryotes in Thermophilic and Mesophilic Environments That Might Resemble Early Earth’s Biosphere
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 4.0 6.0 7.0 -
Sub-Seafloor Hydrothermal Vent Microbial Communities
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 6.0 7.0 -
Early Microbial Ecosystems
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 5.0 6.0 7.0 8.0 13.0 -
The Planetary Context of Biological Evolution: Molecular and Isotopic Approaches to Microbial Ecology and Biogeochemistry
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.0 2.0 5.0 6.0 7.0 8.0 14.0 -
Mineralogical Biosignatures
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 6.0 7.0 13.0 -
Eukaryotic Biodiversity and Physiology at Acidic Extremes: Spain’s Tinto River
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 6.0 7.0 8.0 -
Microbial Fossilization Processes in Extreme Environments
To better understand the preservation of microbial biosignatures in hydrothermal settings, I have traced the fate of epiphytic diatoms entombed in travertine spherulites.
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 6.0 7.0 8.0 -
Diversity and Physiology of Prokaryotes in Selected Thermophilic and Mesophilic Environments That Might Resemble Early Earth’s Biosphere
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 4.0 6.0 7.0 -
Cold Regions Microbial Ecology and Biomarkers
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 7.0 8.0 17.0 -
Genomic Evolution and the Tree of Life
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 4.0 5.0 6.0 7.0 12.0 -
Biological Studies of Hydrothermal Systems
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.0 2.0 5.0 6.0 7.0 8.0 9.0 12.0 14.0 -
Biogeochemistry of the Early Earth
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.0 5.0 7.0 12.0 -
Environmental Evolution of the Archean Earth
We wrote 4 papers on:
- Brines on Mars (In press)
- Caliche as a target for astrobiological prospecting on Mars ( in revision following review)
- Climatic temperature of the Archean Earth (in revision following review)
- Brines on Mars as electrical conductors susceptible to geophysical
detection (in revision following review)
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 5.0 7.0 8.0 -
Causes and Consequences of the Diversification and Extinction of Metazoans: Neoproterozoic Variations – Michael Arthur
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 5.0 7.0 12.0 14.0 -
Fe Isotope Biosignatures
Our research program in Year 4 has focused on five aspects of Fe isotope geochemistry, and our findings are based on ~1,000 new high-precision Fe isotope analyses using the new NAI-funded MC-ICP-MS lab
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 3.0 5.0 6.0 7.0 8.0 10.0 12.0 -
Relationship of Genetic Changes to Phenotypic Changes in Organism — Environment Interactions
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 4.0 6.0 7.0 -
MASSE Development (Formally MILDI)
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.0 5.0 6.0 7.0 8.0 17.0 -
Molecular Analysis of Microbial Ecosystems in Extreme Enviornments
Projects continue to revolve around the development and use of ribosomal ribonucleic acid (rRNA) based molecular methods to survey and study the microbial constituents of ecosystems in extreme environments without the requirement for cultivation of the organisms.
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0 6.0 7.0 10.0 -
Life Beyond the Planet of Origin
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 5.0 6.0 7.0 8.0 10.0 12.0 14.0 15.0 16.0 17.0 -
Evolution in Microbe-Based Ecosystems: Desert Springs as Analogues for the Early Development and Stabilization of Ecological Systems
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 3.0 4.0 5.0 6.0 7.0 14.0 -
Co-Evolution of Life and Planets
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 4.0 5.0 6.0 7.0 8.0 10.0 12.0 14.0 17.0 -
Rock Varnish and Microbes
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 6.0 7.0 8.0 17.0 -
Organic Molecules as Biosignatures
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 6.0 7.0 8.0 12.0 -
The Effect of Reducing Gravity on Caenorhabditis Elegans
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 4.0 7.0 10.0 16.0 -
Biochemistry of Archaea and Bacteria: Enzymes of Ancient Metabolic Pathways
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 2.0 4.0 6.0 7.0 8.0 -
Giant Impacts in Earth’s Early History: Reseeding the Planet and the Search for Earth Rocks on the Moon.
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 5.0 7.0 10.0 12.0 14.0 -
Biochemistry of Archaea and Bacteria: Biochemistry of Psychrophillic Organisms
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 3.0 6.0 7.0 8.0 -
Microbial Mat Communities
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 4.0 6.0 7.0 -
Microbe-Mineral Interactions
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 6.0 7.0 12.0 -
GEOPULSE (Gene Expression of Observations for Planetary Life Study)
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 4.0 6.0 7.0 -
(S. Blair Hedges) Timescale for the Evolution of Life on Earth: Molecular Evolutionary Approach
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 2.0 4.0 5.0 7.0 8.0 11.0 12.0 14.0