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Project Reports

• Bacterial Adaptation to Low Temperatures

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 4.0 6.0 7.0 16.0

• Mineral Biomarkers

  The aim of this project is the development of state-of-the-art instrumentation and accompanying protocols for analysis and detection of trace organic matter in terrestrial and astromaterials

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 6.0 8.0 17.0

• The Virtual Planetary Laboratory – the Life Modules

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 3.0 5.0 6.0 7.0 11.0 13.0

• Subsurface Biospheres

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 6.0 7.0

• Benner – Self-Reproducing Molecular Systems and Darwinian Chemistry

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0 6.0 7.0 8.0 9.0 12.0 13.0 14.0 16.0 17.0

• Geobiology and Geochemistry of Early Earth and Mars

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.0 5.0 6.0 7.0 8.0

• Morphologic Biomarkers and Microbial Ecology

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 5.0 6.0 7.0 8.0 17.0

• First-Stage Biofilm Formation Under Extreme Conditions in Ice

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 6.0 7.0 14.0

• Indigenous Bacteria of Arctic and Antarctic Permafrost

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 6.0 8.0 14.0 15.0

• Evolution of Atmospheric O2, Climate, and Biosphere – Hiroshi Ohmoto

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.0 2.0 5.0 6.0 7.0 10.0 12.0 14.0 15.0

• Secondary Carbonate in Igneous Rocks

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 6.0 8.0 12.0 17.0

• Diversity of Eukaryotes in Thermophilic and Mesophilic Environments That Might Resemble Early Earth’s Biosphere

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 4.0 6.0 7.0

• Origin and Early Evolution of Photosynthesis

  Work on the origin and early evolution of photosynthesis is carried out by a highly interdisciplinary team of scientists from several different institutions. The overall theme is understanding the origin and early evolution of photosynthesis and its effect on the biosphere. This year four main aspects have been emphasized: (1) whole genome comparative analyses of photosynthetic organisms, (2) the search for phototrophs in non-solar environments around hydrothermal vents, (3) field and laboratory studies of photosynthetic organisms in thermophilic and iron-rich environments and (4) Biochemical analysis of primitive phototrophic organisms. Each of these projects has seen significant progress, as described below.

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 3.0 4.0 5.0 6.0 7.0

• Sub-Seafloor Hydrothermal Vent Microbial Communities

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 6.0 7.0

• Eukaryotic Biodiversity and Physiology at Acidic Extremes: Spain’s Tinto River

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 6.0 7.0 8.0

• Symbiosis and the Origin of Multicellularity in Photosynthetic Organisms

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 4.0 6.0 10.0

• The Planetary Context of Biological Evolution: Molecular and Isotopic Approaches to Microbial Ecology and Biogeochemistry

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.0 2.0 5.0 6.0 7.0 8.0 14.0

• Microbial Fossilization Processes in Extreme Environments

  To better understand the preservation of microbial biosignatures in hydrothermal settings, I have traced the fate of epiphytic diatoms entombed in travertine spherulites.

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 6.0 7.0 8.0

• Biogenic Mineral Weathering

  • Continued with our experimental project to compare biogenic weathering, sterile controls, and strictly abiogenic weathering
  • Developed new morphologic criteria that appear to be distinctive for biogenic weathering textures
  • Cataloged existing morphologic features of each type of weathering
  • Determined chemical changes on the micrometer and submicrometer level associated with each type of weathering
  • Cataloged weathering features in ancient Earth Archean samples and in Martian meteorites ALH84001, Nakhla, and others
  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 6.0 8.0

• Early Microbial Ecosystems

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 5.0 6.0 7.0 8.0 13.0

• Mineralogical Biosignatures

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 6.0 7.0 13.0

• Diversity and Physiology of Prokaryotes in Selected Thermophilic and Mesophilic Environments That Might Resemble Early Earth’s Biosphere

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 4.0 6.0 7.0

• A New Molecular Recognition Instrument for Astrobiological Applications

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.0 2.0 6.0 9.0

• Genomic Evolution and the Tree of Life

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 4.0 5.0 6.0 7.0 12.0

• Hematite on Mars: Implications for Astrobiology

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 5.0 6.0 8.0 17.0

• Biological Studies of Hydrothermal Systems

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.0 2.0 5.0 6.0 7.0 8.0 9.0 12.0 14.0

• Ecosystem to Biosphere Modeling

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 5.0 6.0 14.0 15.0

• Molecular Analysis of Microbial Ecosystems in Extreme Enviornments

  Projects continue to revolve around the development and use of ribosomal ribonucleic acid (rRNA) based molecular methods to survey and study the microbial constituents of ecosystems in extreme environments without the requirement for cultivation of the organisms.

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0 6.0 7.0 10.0

• Relationship of Genetic Changes to Phenotypic Changes in Organism — Environment Interactions

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 4.0 6.0 7.0

• Fe Isotope Biosignatures

  Our research program in Year 4 has focused on five aspects of Fe isotope geochemistry, and our findings are based on ~1,000 new high-precision Fe isotope analyses using the new NAI-funded MC-ICP-MS lab

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 3.0 5.0 6.0 7.0 8.0 10.0 12.0

• Life Beyond the Planet of Origin

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 5.0 6.0 7.0 8.0 10.0 12.0 14.0 15.0 16.0 17.0

• MASSE Development (Formally MILDI)

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.0 5.0 6.0 7.0 8.0 17.0

• Isotopic and Molecular Tracers of Life

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.0 3.0 5.0 6.0 8.0 9.0 11.0 14.0 16.0

• New Technique Development and Application

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.0 6.0 8.0 17.0

• Evolution in Microbe-Based Ecosystems: Desert Springs as Analogues for the Early Development and Stabilization of Ecological Systems

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 3.0 4.0 5.0 6.0 7.0 14.0

• Co-Evolution of Life and Planets

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 4.0 5.0 6.0 7.0 8.0 10.0 12.0 14.0 17.0

• Organic Molecules as Biosignatures

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 6.0 7.0 8.0 12.0

• Rock Varnish and Microbes

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 6.0 7.0 8.0 17.0

• Biochemistry of Archaea and Bacteria: Enzymes of Ancient Metabolic Pathways

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 2.0 4.0 6.0 7.0 8.0

• Biochemistry of Archaea and Bacteria: Biochemistry of Psychrophillic Organisms

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 3.0 6.0 7.0 8.0

• Microbial Mat Communities

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 4.0 6.0 7.0

• Microbe-Mineral Interactions

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 6.0 7.0 12.0

• GEOPULSE (Gene Expression of Observations for Planetary Life Study)

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 4.0 6.0 7.0

• Evolution of Atmospheric O2, Climate, and Biosphere – Lee Kump

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 5.0 6.0 12.0 14.0