2005 Annual Science Report
Astrobiology Roadmap Objective 3.3 Reports Reporting | JUL 2004 – JUN 2005
Roadmap Objective 3.3—Origins of energy transduction
Project Reports
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Establishment of the Goddard Analytical Astrobiology Laboratory
This year Dworkin finalized construction of the laboratory infrastructure in Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) building 2, room W109.
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 3.1 3.3 3.4 -
Laser Fluorometry for Remote Detection of Oxygenic Phototrophs on Earth And, Potentially, on Mars
The innovation of oxygenic photosynthesis is argued to have transformed the Earth’s atmosphere and been the driving force that led to the evolution of O2-based respiratory metabolisms.
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 3.3 4.2 5.1 5.3 -
Genome Evolution and Innovation
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 3.2 3.3 3.4 4.1 4.2 5.1 5.2 5.3 6.1 6.2 7.2 -
Microbial Diversity and Population Structure Studies in the Rio Tinto
Our population studies in the Rio Tinto focus on three stations located in the more extreme headwaters of the river: the Origin (OR), Anabel’s Garden (AG) and Berrocal (BE) (Fig. 1). For each station we sampled three different sites with three-fold replication during the wet and dry seasons.
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 3.3 5.1 5.2 -
Mass Extinction Events, the Longest Snowball Earth Event, the Evolution of Oxygenic Photosynthesis, and TPW Induced Perturbations of the Carbon Cycle.
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 3.1 3.3 4.1 4.3 6.1 -
Radiolysis as a Source of Chemical Energy for Microbial Metabolism in the Deep Subsurface
Radiolysis of water can accelerate water/rock interaction through production of radicals (e.g., hydrogen, hydroperoxyl, hydroxyl), ions (e.g., superoxide, protons, hydroxide), and reactive molecules (e.g., hydrogen, hydrogen peroxide, oxygen)
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 3.3 4.1 4.2 5.1 5.2 5.3 6.1 7.2 -
Darwinian Chemistry
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 2.1 2.2 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 4.1 4.2 4.3 5.2 5.3 6.1 6.2 7.1 -
Evolution of Biocomplexity From an Ancient Autotrophic Lineage
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 3.2 3.3 4.2 5.1 5.2 5.3 -
The Virtual Planetary Laboratory – The Life Modules
Coupled model of the anaerobic, early Archean biosphere, prior to the origin of oxygenic photosynthesis (Kharecha, Kasting, and Siefert). This model includes organisms that metabolize using H2, H2S, and Fe++ as reductants. A primary goal was to estimate the production rate of methane.
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 3.2 3.3 4.1 4.2 5.3 6.1 6.2 7.1 7.2