NASA Astrobiology Institute (NAI)

VPL at University of Washington

Executive Summary

The Search for Life Beyond the Solar System

Project Reports

Astronomical Observations of Terrestrial Planet Atmospheres

Earth as an Extrasolar Planet

Effects of stellar flares on atmospheres of habitable planets

Hydrodynamic Escape from Planetary Atmospheres

Modeling Early Earth Environments

Planet Formation and Dynamical Modeling

Planetary Habitability

Planetary Surface and Interior Models and Super Earths

Stromatolites in the Desert: Analogs to Other Worlds

The Virtual Planetary Laboratory - The Life Modules - Photosynthesis

VPL Climate and Radiative Transfer Models

VPL Model Interfaces and the Community Tool

EPO Reports

Talks to K-12 Students and Teacher Workshops

Colloquia, Symposia and Winter/Summer Schools

Non-Science Major Undergraduate Courses with Astrobiology

Contributions to Astrobiology Textbooks

Public Lectures and Events

Newspaper, Magazine, Radio and Television Interviews and Articles.

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. (14 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. (4 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. (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. (7 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. (9 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. (8 reports)