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Project Reports

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• Deep Impact Target Characterization

  The Deep Impact mission is the first planetary mission to carry out direct experimentation on a cometary body by delivering a 360-kg impactor to comet 9P/Tempel 1 at 10.2 km/s on UT July 4, 2005. UHNAI team members were closely involved in the world-wide effort of ground- and Earth-orbital observations to characterize the target nucleus pre-impact and to observe throughout the period of Encounter

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 2.2 3.1

• Origin of Irregular Satellites

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 2.2

• The Lowell Telescope Scheduler

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: None Selected

• AFAR: Adaptive Framework for Astrobiology Research

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: None Selected

• The Evolution of Intelligence Under Environmental Change

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 4.2 6.2 7.2

• Astrobiology Winter School

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 2.2 3.1 6.1 7.1

• Analysis Software for in Situ Voltammetry

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 5.3 6.1

• Analysis of Fine Scale Genetic Divergence in Oceanic Microbial Communities

  The marine environment comprises the largest contiguous “surface” habitat on Earth, but it is far from a continuous, homogenous environment.

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 5.1 5.2

• Formation of Astrobiologically Important Molecules in Water-Rich Environments

  Our goal ultimate goal is to investigate the formation of biological molecules in water-rich environments. Water ice serves as the energy-transfer medium and active participant in a variety of radiation-driven chemistry reactions thought to be important in either the interstellar medium or the primordial solar nebula.

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 3.1 3.2

• Cometary Water and Volatile Abundances

  any comets have been observed to have activity at large heliocentric distances on their inbound orbital legs at distances too far from the sun to be caused by sublimation of pure water ice.

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 2.2 3.1

• Analysis Tools for a Proteomic View of Adaptations to Extreme Environments

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 5.3

• Young Low Mass Stars

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.2

• Serpentinization, Abiogenic Methane, and Extremophilic Archaea Within the Seafloor

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 5.2 5.3

• Formation of Planetesimals in a Dynamically Evolving Nebula

  Work on the dynamics of dust grains in the neighborhood of density-enhanced structures in a planet-forming nebula has been continuing. In particular, a new project on the dynamics and coagulations of dust particles in a dynamically evolving nebula has been launched. In such and environment, the physical properties of the nebula, such as its temperature and pressure, constantly vary.

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.1

• Ice in Sublimation Environments

  Ice exists in sublimation environments on many planetary surfaces, including Mars, Antarctica, and possibly the polar regions of the Moon. Schorghofer and Edgett (2005) studied observations of seasonal ice at unusually low latitudes on Mars, where it exists on cold pole-facing slopes (Figure 1).

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 2.1

• Habitability and Water Delivery in Binary-Planetary Systems

  Study of habitability and water-delivery in binary star systems requires an expansive study of the dynamical evolution of these systems. While habitability requires identifying regions within the habitable zone of the system where a life-harboring planet (such as an Earth-size body) can have a long-term stable orbit, water-delivery requires identifying regions where water-carrying objects such as comets, and water-rich planetesimals and protoplanets, can be unstable.

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.1

• Rapid Response to Remotely Detected Potential Seafloor Eruption

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 5.3

• Aqueous Alteration on Mars

  This project focuses on using our understanding of aqueous alteration from terrestrial laboratory experiments and field observations to try to place limits on the duration of aqueous alteration events on Mars. We are working on several aspects of this. We describe the most mature one here (to be submitted for publication in August, 2005).

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 2.1

• Chondritic Meteorites as Records of Aqueous Activity on Asteroidal Parent Bodies

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 2.2 3.1

• Kuiper Belt Orbital Studies

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.1 2.2

• Miniature Mass Spectrometer Development

  NAI support has contributed to the development of a center for mass spectrometer development at UH, with systems under development for chemical measurements using electron impact (for gases), electrospray (liquids), laser ablation resonance ionization (isotope and elemental abundance in solids), and secondary ionization (a standard for geochemical assays).

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 2.1 7.1

• Searching for Water and Organic Material in the Outer Solar System

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 2.2