2004 Annual Science Report
Astrobiology Roadmap Objective 4.2 Reports Reporting | JUL 2003 – JUN 2004
Roadmap Objective 4.2—Foundations of complex life
Project Reports
-
Divergence of Protein Families to Provide Novel Function
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 3.2 4.2 5.1 -
The Planetary Context of Biological Evolution
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.1 1.2 2.1 4.1 4.2 6.1 7.2 -
Planetary Biology, Evolution and Intelligence
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.2 2.1 2.2 3.1 4.1 4.2 5.1 5.3 6.1 6.2 7.1 7.2 -
Bacterial Adaptation to Low Temperatures
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 4.2 5.1 5.3 6.2 -
Enzymes of Ancient Metabolic Pathways
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.1 3.2 3.3 4.1 4.2 5.1 5.3 6.1 6.2 -
Molecular Survey of Extremophile Microbial Diversity in Hypersaline Ecosystems
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 3.4 4.1 4.2 5.1 5.2 5.3 6.1 7.1 7.2 -
Building a Habitable Planet: The Geological Record
Research continued in the following six areas: late Archean — early Paleoproterozoic hydrocarbon biomarker molecules, early Archean sulfur isotopes, metamorphism of early Archean biosignatures, nutrient availability (N, P) in Archean oceans, geochronology of a late Archean flood basalt province, and diamond drilling of astrobiologically significant Archean and early Proterozoic sedimentary horizons in the Pilbara Craton of Australia.
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 4.1 4.2 7.1 -
Evolution of a Habitable Planet (Arthur)
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 4.1 4.2 4.3 5.2 6.1 -
Genes That Regulate Photosymbiotic Interactions
This project focused on recovering and identifying genes expressed in photosymbiotic relationships of planktonic sarcodines. Genes involved with symbiont identification, acquisition, and symbiosis maintenance were of particular interest.
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 4.2 5.1 5.2 -
Origin of Multicellularity and Complex Land-Based Ecosystem
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 4.2 5.1 5.2 6.1 -
Electrochemical Isotope Effects With Applications to Stable Isotope Fractionation in Transition Metals
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 3.1 4.1 4.2 6.1 7.1 -
Genome-Genome Integration: Symbiosis, Genetic Assimilation, and Evolutionary Innovation
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 4.2 5.1 5.2 6.2 -
Causes of Mass Extinctions: Testing Impact Models_Ward
This project was instituted to examine the relationship between impact and mass extinction. We know that one of the largest mass extinctions of the past 500 million years was caused by impact (the Cretaceous/Tertiary (K/T) event 65 million years ago (Alvarez et al, 1980)).
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 4.2 4.3 6.2 -
Evolution of Eukaryotes and the Cambrian Explosion
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 4.1 4.2 -
Genomic Record of the Earth’s Early Biosphere
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 4.1 4.2 4.3 -
Evolution of Sensory and Neural Systems in Basal Animals
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 3.4 4.2 -
Astrobiotechnology
The development of new technology to carry out in situ experiments to address astrobiological questions is an important goal of NAI, underscored this year by the formation of an Astrobiotechnology Focus Group.
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 2.1 3.1 3.2 4.2 7.1 -
Evolution of Biocomplexity From an Ancient Autotrophic Lineage
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 3.2 3.3 4.2 5.2 5.3 6.1 6.2 -
Microbial Symbionts: Agents for Reorganizing Genome Architectures.
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 4.2 5.1 5.2 6.2 -
Genome Evolution and Innovation
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 4.1 4.2 5.1 5.3 -
Microbial Mat Communities
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 3.2 3.3 4.1 4.2 5.1 5.2 5.3 6.1 -
Modeling Early Atmospheric Composition and Climate_Kasting
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.1 4.1 4.2 -
Whole Genome Comparisons and the Evolution of Methane and Sulfur Metabolisms
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 4.1 4.2 6.1