2005 Annual Science Report
Astrobiology Roadmap Objective 5.3 Reports Reporting | JUL 2004 – JUN 2005
Roadmap Objective 5.3—Biochemical adaptation to extreme environments
Project Reports
-
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 -
Subsurface Biospheres
Members of our team at UNC Chapel Hill focus on molecular studies of deep subsurface communities
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 2.1 2.2 4.1 4.3 5.2 5.3 6.1 7.1 7.2 -
Bacterial Adaptation to Low Temperatures
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 4.2 5.1 5.3 6.2 -
Iron Oxidation – Shaping the Past and Present Environments
The biology of Iron Oxidation
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 4.1 5.1 5.3 6.1 -
Examinations of the Microbial Diversity Found in Ice Cores
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 2.1 5.1 5.2 5.3 6.1 6.2 -
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 -
Bacterial Tubulin and the Evolution of the Eukaryotic Cell; Sea Ice Bacteria
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 3.2 3.4 4.2 5.3 6.1 -
Microbial and Biogeochemical Characterization of a Terrestrial Analogue Site for Mars.
Vertical and horizontal excavations at the Lupin gold mine in northern Canada allow access to a 500-meter thick permafrost/rock environment overlying a methane-bearing brine/rock environment.
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 2.1 2.2 5.1 5.2 5.3 6.1 6.2 7.1 -
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 -
Interplanetary Pioneers
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 5.3 6.2 -
Transcriptomes of Permafrost Bacteria
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 5.1 5.3 7.2 -
Iron and Sulfur-Based Biospheres and Their Biosignatures
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 5.1 5.2 5.3 6.1 6.2 7.1 7.2 -
Proteomes of Permafrost Bacteria
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 5.3 -
Microbial Communities and Activities in the Deep Marine Subsurface
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 4.1 5.1 5.3 6.1 6.2 -
Synergism, Evolution, and Functional Ecogenomics of Deep-Subsurface Microbial Communities Based on Molecular Analyses
Samples for genome analysis were collected at a depth of about 8,000 ft below the surface from a South African gold mine in the Witwatersrand Basin.
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 5.1 5.2 5.3 6.1 -
Indigenous Bacteria of Arctic and Antarctic Permafrost
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 5.1 5.2 5.3 6.2 -
Project 5. Life in Extreme Environments
The astrobiology research objectives of Baross and his group are focused on understanding the microbial ecology and physiology of Earth environments that share geophysical and geochemical characteristics with other planets and satellites
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 5.3 -
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 -
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 -
Analysis Software for in Situ Voltammetry
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 5.3 6.1 -
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 -
Ecosystem to Biosphere Modeling
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 4.1 5.3 6.1 7.2 -
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 -
The Evolution and Diversity of Ancient CO2-fixation Pathways in Anaerobic and Extremophilic Microorganisms: Clues to the Early Evolution of Life on Earth
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 4.1 5.1 5.3 -
Geochemical Processes and Biosignatures (House)
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 4.1 5.1 5.2 5.3 6.1 -
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 -
Icelandic Subglacial Volcanic Habitats
Successful field test of drill in June 2005. We expect drill to be fully operational for planned June 2006 expedition.
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 2.1 2.2 5.3 6.2 7.1 -
First-Stage Biofilm Formation Under Extreme Conditions in Ice
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 5.1 5.3 6.1 6.2 7.2 -
Evolution of a Habitable Planet (Arthur)
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 4.1 5.3 6.1 -
Analysis Tools for a Proteomic View of Adaptations to Extreme Environments
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 5.3 -
Serpentinization, Abiogenic Methane, and Extremophilic Archaea Within the Seafloor
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 5.2 5.3 -
Subseafloor Basement (Basalt) Biosphere Studies
This project involves studies of the deep subseafloor basement biosphere. We are utilizing Ocean Drilling Program borehole (CORK) observatories to access the fluids that circulate through the ocean basin wide environment, where temperatures (2-100°C) and chemistry are conducive to a very broad range of aerobic and anaerobic and heterotrophic and chemolithotrophic metabolisms and survival strategies.
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 5.3 6.1 7.1 7.2 -
Rapid Response to Remotely Detected Potential Seafloor Eruption
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 5.3 -
A Proteomic View of Adaptations to Extreme Environments
Over the past two decades, molecular biology techniques have ushered in a paradigm shift in environmental microbiology. Thriving microbial communities have been discovered inhabiting physical and chemical regimes once assumed limiting to life. These “novel” environments are collectively known as “extreme” environments and the organisms that inhabit them “extremeophiles”.
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 5.1 5.3 -
Integrated Characterization of Microbial Communities Associated With Aquatic Redox Gradients
Our investigations of oxic-anoxic transitions are focused on understanding the synergy between geochemical processes and microbial community and metabolic diversity. These studies not only further our understanding of geochemical cycles that have shaped the evolution of Earth but also have the potential to contribute to flight-related missions through the development of in situ measurement technologies.
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 5.1 5.2 5.3 6.1