nai

Project Reports

• Bacterial Adaptation to Low Temperatures

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 4.2 5.1 5.3 6.2

• 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

• Lava Tube Microbiology

  The extreme nature of the surface environments on Mars appear to exclude extant biological habitation.

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 5.1 5.2 6.2

• Examinations of the Microbial Diversity Found in Ice Cores

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 2.1 5.1 5.2 5.3 6.1 6.2

• 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

• Iron and Sulfur-Based Biospheres and Their Biosignatures

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 5.1 5.2 5.3 6.1 6.2 7.1 7.2

• Searching for Planets Around Evolved Stars

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.2 6.2

• 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

• 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

• Interplanetary Pioneers

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 5.3 6.2

• Microbial Communities and Activities in the Deep Marine Subsurface

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 4.1 5.1 5.3 6.1 6.2

• The Evolution of Intelligence Under Environmental Change

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 4.2 6.2 7.2

• Indigenous Bacteria of Arctic and Antarctic Permafrost

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 5.1 5.2 5.3 6.2

• 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

• 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

• 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

• The Astrophysical Environment and Planetary Habitability

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 4.3 6.2 7.2

• 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