NASA Astrobiology Institute (NAI)

University of Hawaii

Executive Summary

Hawaii Executive Summary

UHNAI Lead Team Executive Summary

Project Reports

Untitled

Identifying the Missing Young Low-Mass Stars

A Search for H3+ from the Atmospheres of Hot Jupiters

A search for Main Belt Comets in Pan-STARRS 1

A Supertree Analysis of the Metazoan Phylogeny

Acquisition of Witec Confolcal Raman Scanning System

Assessing the likelihood of supernova impact of protoplanetary disks

Characterizing the Mineral Phases in Placozoans

Chemistry and biology of ultramafic-hosted alkaline springs

Chondritic Meteorites as Records of Aqueous Activity on Asteroidal Parent Bodies

Diversity and phylogeny of the

Ecology of a Hawaiian lava cave microbial mat

First Workshop on Titan- Observations, Experiments, Computations, and Modeling

FMARS Long Duration Mission: a simulation of manned Mars explora

FMARS Long Duration Mission: a simulation of manned Mars exploration in an analogue environment, Devon Island, Canada

Formation and Detection of Hot-Earth Objects in Systems with Close-in Jupiters

Formation of Hydrogen, Oxygen, and Hydrogen Peroxide in Electron Irradiated Crystalline Water Ice

Formation of Planetesimals in a Dynamically Evolving Nebula

Geomicrobiology of neutrophilic iron-oxidizing bacteria at Loihi Seamount

Habitability and Water Delivery in Binary-Planetary Systems

Ice in Sublimation Environments

Icelandic subglacial lakes

Identification of the D3h Isomer of Carbon Trioxide (CO3)

Improved comet astrometry for Pan-STARRS 1

In situ voltammetry integrated with a cabled nearshore observatory

Induced Vibronic Circular Dichroism in Ice Bioclathrates as a Potential Remotely Observable Biosignature

Installation of Cameca ims 1280 ion microprobe

Laboratory Simulation of Ammonia-Water Ices Relevant to the Outer Solar System

Laboratory Simulation of Interstellar and Solar System Ices

Laboratory Studies of Solid Ammonia Relevant to Interstellar and Solar System Ices

Martian Slope Streaks

Mechanistical Studies on the Irradiation of Methanol in Extraterrestrial Ices

Molecular Deuteration on grain surfaces

Monte Carlo Markov Chain modeling of grain surface chemistry

On the Formation of Glycolaldehyde (HCOCH2OH) and Methyl Formate (HCOOCH3) in Interstellar Ice Analogues

Origin of Irregular Satellites

Outreach for ANSMET 2006-2007

Proteins in Extreme Environments

Rapid response to remotely detected seafloor eruptions

Recovery of comet 85P/Boethin for the Deep Impact Extended Mission

Star-Planet Interactions (SPI) as a Probe of Extrasolar Planetary Magnetic

Subseafloor basement (basalt) biosphere studies

TES study of intracrater low albedo deposits, Amazonis Planitia, Mars

The Formation of Acetic Acid (CH3COOH) in Interstellar Ices

THEMIS thermal inertia study of sulfates identified in Valles Marineris, Mars

Understanding the Effect of the Atmosphere of a Growing Jupiter on Capturing Planetesimals

Unveiling the evolution and interplay of ice and gas in star-forming regions

Water-Rock Chemistry and Habitats for Life

EPO Reports

Astrobiology Laboratory Institute for Instructors

Hawaii Student/Teacher Astronomy Research

Astronomy Mentor Workshop

Intermediate CCD Photometry Workshop

Astrobiology Teacher Workshop

LEGO Robotics Student Workshop

HI STAR (Hawaii Student/Teacher Astronomy Research) Mini-Workshops

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. (7 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. (8 reports)

Goal 3: Understand how life originates from cosmic and planetary precursors

• Objective 3: Replicating, catalytic systems capable of evolution, and construct laboratory models of metabolism in primitive living systems. (3 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. (5 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. (12 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. (5 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. (1 reports)