nai

Project Reports

• Astrobiology at UCLA: An Integrated Multidisciplinary Approach to Research and Education

  RESEARCH at UCLA is now focused on six main themes: (1) extrasolar planetary systems; (2) geobiology and geochemistry of early Earth and Mars; (3) evolution of Earth’s early life; (4) genomic evolution and the tree of life; (5) celestial influences on the terrestrial environment; and (6) exploration for life in the Solar System. Over the past year, some of these themes have grown significantly; the thrust of the last has been seriously compromised by the successive losses of both the Mars Climate Orbiter and the Mars Polar Lander.

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.0 4.0 5.0 6.0 7.0 8.0 9.0 11.0 12.0 13.0 14.0

• The Environment of Prebiotic Earth: Theoretical Approach

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.0 5.0 8.0 11.0 12.0 15.0

• Impact Frustration and Subsequent Generation of Biologically Tenable Climates on Earth and Mars

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 11.0 12.0 14.0

• Hydrothermal Organic Synthesis

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.0 2.0 7.0 8.0 9.0 11.0 13.0

• Studies in Planetary Formation and Evolution

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 8.0 9.0 11.0 12.0

• Chemical Building Blocks

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.0 2.0 11.0 13.0

• Studies of Organic Matter and Water in Meteorites

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.0 8.0 9.0 11.0

• The Formation of Planets Around Young Stars

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 11.0

• Habitable Planets

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 11.0 12.0

• Fe Isotope Biosignatures

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 3.0 5.0 8.0 11.0 13.0

• Coevolution of Life and Planets

  The Kirschvink lab has focused on several aspects of interest to the National Astrobiology Institute during the past 1.5 years, including evaluation and identification of Precambrian biosignatures, testing the Panspermia hypothesis with the Martian Meteorite ALH84001, placing constraints on Life on Europa, assessing effect of the Paleoproterozoic â??Snowball Earth’. Members of the group include Postdoctoral Scholar J.W. Hagadorn, JPL Postdoctoral visitor Eric Gaidos, Graduate Student Benjamin Weiss, and Undergraduate Students Francis Macdonald and Tim Raub.

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 6.0 7.0 8.0 9.0 10.0 11.0 12.0 14.0 17.0

• Evolution of Atmospheric O2, Climate, and the Terrestrial Biosphere/Causes and Consequences of the Diversification and Extinction of Metazoans – Rosemary C. Capo, Brian W. Stewart

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 5.0 6.0 7.0 10.0 11.0 12.0 14.0 15.0

• Astrobiology Education and Public Outreach

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0 6.0 7.0 8.0 9.0 10.0 11.0 12.0 13.0 14.0 15.0