NASA Astrobiology Institute (NAI)

Pennsylvania State University

Executive Summary

Penn State Executive Summary

Project Reports

Castleman Report

Evolution of a Habitable Planet (Brantley)

Evolution of Atmospheric O2, Climate, and Biosphere (Ohmoto)

Examination of the Microbial Diversity Found in Ice Cores (Brenchley)

Ferry Report

Genomic Record of the Earth's Early Biosphere (Hedges)

Genomics of sulfidic cave extremophiles (Supplement to NNA04CC06A)

Investigations of Modern Analogues of Precambrian Microbial Ecosystems

Laboratory Microbial Simulations

Modeling Early Atmospheric Composition and Climate (Kasting)

PSARC: Evolution of a Habitable Planet

Rise of Oxygen, Modern Analogs for Anoxic Oceans, and Effect of early life on soil development

Search for Planets Around Evolved Stars (Wolszczan)

EPO Reports

Astrobiology Undergraduate Minor

Dual Title Ph.D. Program in Astrobiology

Evolution Workshop for Educators

Planet, Star, or Neither? Workshop for Educators

Origins of the Cosmos Workshop for Educators

Life On Other Planets: Searching for E.T. Student Camp

Astrobiology public outreach ? Penn State Astrobiology Research Center

Project Reports

Organized by Astrobiology Roadmap Objective

Goal 1: Understand the nature and distribution of habitable environments in the Universe

• Objective 1: Determine whether the atmosphere of the early Earth, hydrothermal or exogenous matter were significant sources of organic matter. (6 reports)

Goal 2: Explore for past or present habitable environments, prebiotic chemistry and signs of life elsewhere in our Solar System

• Objective 2: Develop and test plausible pathways by which ancient counterparts of membrane systems, proteins and nucleic acid were synthesized from simpler precursors and assembled into protocells. (2 reports)

Goal 4: Understand how past life on Earth interacted with its changing planetary and Solar System environment

• Objective 4: Expand and interpret the genomic database of a select group of key microorganisms in order to reveal the history and dynamics of evolution. (10 reports)

Goal 5: Understand the evolutionary mechanisms and environmental limits of life

• Objective 5: Describe the sequences of causes and effects associated with the development of Earth's early biosphere and the global environment. (7 reports)

Goal 6: Understand the principles that will shape the future of life, both on Earth and beyond

• Objective 6: Define how ecophysiological processes structure microbial communities, influence their adaptation and evolution, and affect their detection on other planets. (6 reports)

Goal 7: Determine how to recognize signatures of life on other worlds and on early Earth

• Objective 7: Identify the environmental limits for by examining biological adaptations to extremes in environmental conditions. (5 reports)