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Project Reports

• Bacterial Adaptation to Low Temperatures

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 4.2 5.1 5.3 6.2

• Bacterial Tubulin and the Evolution of the Eukaryotic Cell; Sea Ice Bacteria

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 3.2 3.4 4.2 5.3 6.1

• 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

• Planetary Biology, Evolution and Intelligence

  Chris Chyba, Cynthia Phillips, Kevin Hand- The project has two components. The first, an overview of the astrobiological potential of various geological features on Europa, is proceeding well — we are continuing study of various proposed formation mechanisms for different features types such as ridges, bands, and chaotic terrain. The second, a search for current geological activity by comparing Galileo images taken on different orbits, is also in progress. We have performed a first-stage search of the Galileo Europa images to find overlapping images, and are currently working on an automated search method to make sure that we find all possible comparison images. We are also working on automated processing techniques.

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.1 1.2 2.1 2.2 3.1 3.2 4.1 4.2 5.1 5.2 5.3 6.1 6.2 7.1 7.2

• 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

• Molecular Survey of Microbial Diversity in Hypersaline Ecosystems

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 3.2 3.4 4.1 4.2 5.1 5.2 5.3 6.1 6.2 7.2

• Genomic Record of the Earth’s Early Biosphere

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 4.1 4.2

• Re-Tracing Steps Towards a Habitable World: The Biogeochemical Evolution of Sulfur on the Early Earth.

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.1 3.1 4.1 4.2 5.2 5.3 6.1 7.1

• The Evolution of Intelligence Under Environmental Change

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 4.2 6.2 7.2

• Origins and Signatures of Biogenic and Abiogenic Hydrocarbons.

  Completed experimental results showed δ²H of H₂ can only be used as an indicator of in-situ water radiolysis for groundwater with relatively young ages and low temperatures.

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 2.1 4.1 4.2 7.1 7.2

• Causes of Mass Extinctions: Testing Impact Models_Ward

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 4.2

• 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

• Project 6. Molecular and Isotopic Biosignatures

  Steele and Postdoctoral Fellow Marc Fries used the new WiTec Raman imaging system to begin the examination of in situ carbon formation in a variety of samples, including Precambrian rocks and samples from a Mars analog site in Svalbard

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 3.1 4.1 4.2 6.1 6.2 7.1 7.2

• Project 7. Astrobiotechnology

  With continued support from NASA astrobiology instrument development funding (through the Astrobiology Science and Technology Instrument Development, or ASTID, Program), as well as NAI funding, Steele and colleagues continued to develop biotechnology instrumentation for solar system exploration

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 2.1 2.2 3.1 3.2 4.2 5.3 6.2 7.1

• 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

• Genome-Genome Integration: Symbiosis, Genetic Assimilation, and Evolutionary Innovation

  This project aims to elucidate genetic changes that catalyze the establishment and diversification of genome-genome interactions.

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 3.4 4.2 5.2 6.2

• From Stars to Genes: Addition to Extrasolar Planetary Systems

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.1 1.2 2.1 2.2 4.2 4.3 5.1 5.2

• Microbial Mat Communities

  Our primary research objective is to better understand the origins and adaptive radiation of an ancient and biogeochemically significant assemblage of microorganisms, the sulfate-reducing prokaryotes (SRP).

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 4.1 4.2 5.1 5.2 5.3 6.1

• Chiral Determinism and the Origin of Translation

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 3.1 3.2 4.2

• Electrochemical Isotope Effects With Applications to Stable Isotope Fractionation in Transition Metals

  We have successfully begun a research program examining how electrochemical processes (e.g. electroplating, corrosion, biological metabolism) act on stable isotopes of transition metals, starting with Fe.

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.1 1.2 4.2 4.3

• Evolution of Biocomplexity From an Ancient Autotrophic Lineage

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 3.2 3.3 4.2 5.1 5.2 5.3

• Geochemical and Geochemistry of Early Earth – Isotope Stratigraphy

  C and O isotope analyses of carbonates from the Proterozoic/Phanerozoic transition of the Siberian Platform: proxy for early life evolution?

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.1 4.2 6.1

• 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

• Ocean Surfaces on Snowball Earth

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 4.2

• Impacts and Extinction

  The project being reported on here deals with various aspects of asteroid or comet impact on the Earth, and the Astrobiological consequences (including extinction).

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 4.2 4.3

• The Aqueous Environment of the Emergence of Complex Life

  We have started a new initiative to study key steps in the evolution of complex life and the potential relationship to aqueous conditions (oxygen, ion concentrations, etc.) at the time of those events. We are studying two “model” systems.

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 4.2