NASA Astrobiology Institute (NAI)

Pennsylvania State University

Executive Summary

Evolution of a Habitable Planet

Project Reports

Untitled

Castleman Report

Evolution of a Habitable Planet (Brantley)

Evolution of a Habitable Planet (Stewart)

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)

Laboratory Microbial Simulations: Astrobiological Signatures

Modeling Early Atmospheric Composition and Climate

Molecular Signatures of Life on the Edge (DDF project)

PSARC (Sigurdsson report)

EPO Reports

Aliens from Other Worlds Guest Lectures at the Whitaker Center

Astrobiology Undergraduate Minor

Dual Title Ph.D. Program in Astrobiology

Evolution: How Important is it to a good science education? Science Workshop for Educators

Telescopes: The Tools of Astronomical Inquiry Science Workshop for Educators

Earths History: Interaction Between Life and the Environment Science Workshop for Educators

Penn State Upward Bound Math & Science (UBMS) program, part of the Summer Experience in the Eberly College of Science (SEECoS)

Astrobiology Public Outreach Penn State Astrobiology Research Center

Astrobiology Science Conference

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. (4 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. (3 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. (1 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. (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. (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)