NAI
2010 Annual Science Report
University of Hawaii, Manoa
Reporting | SEP 2009 – AUG 2010
AIRFrame Technical Infrastructure and Visualization Software Evaluation
Project Summary
The Astrobiology Integrative Research Framework (AIRFrame) analyzes published and unpublished documents to identify and visualize implicit relationships between astrobiology’s diverse constituent fields. The main goal of the AIRFrame project is to allow researchers and the public to discover and navigate across related information from different disciplines.
Project Progress
During the reporting period, Astrobiology Integrative Research Framework (AIRFrame) researchers harvested over two thousand publications in astrobiology from journal article databases and meeting documents, processed them through the Textpresso open source text analysis software, migrated to our own server and created a working Web prototype. Based on this initial work, we have begun testing machine learning methods and visualization software on our growing dataset. We published and presented three scholarly papers related to AIRFrame and have submitted two others currently in review. We supported one PhD student in computer science throughout the year, involved two graduate students in AIRFrame via a summer independent study project, and one undergraduate student through the Research Experiences for Undergraduates program at the University of Hawaii.
Publications
- Gazan, R. & Miller, L. (2010). The Practical Mechanics of Interdisciplinary Science. Astrobiology Science Conference. League City, TX.
- Gazan, R. (2010). AIRFrame: Integrating Diverse Digital Collections in Astrobiology. AIRFrame: Integrating Diverse Digital Collections in Astrobiology. Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.
- Miller, L. & Gazan, R. (2010). Adaptation of an Open Source Semantic and Conceptual Retrieval Framework to the Astrobiological Domain. Astrobiology Science Conference. League City, TX.
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PROJECT INVESTIGATORS:
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RELATED OBJECTIVES:
Objective 1.1
Formation and evolution of habitable planets.
Objective 1.2
Indirect and direct astronomical observations of extrasolar habitable planets.
Objective 2.1
Mars exploration.
Objective 2.2
Outer Solar System exploration
Objective 3.1
Sources of prebiotic materials and catalysts
Objective 3.2
Origins and evolution of functional biomolecules
Objective 3.3
Origins of energy transduction
Objective 3.4
Origins of cellularity and protobiological systems
Objective 4.1
Earth's early biosphere.
Objective 4.2
Production of complex life.
Objective 4.3
Effects of extraterrestrial events upon the biosphere
Objective 5.1
Environment-dependent, molecular evolution in microorganisms
Objective 5.2
Co-evolution of microbial communities
Objective 5.3
Biochemical adaptation to extreme environments
Objective 6.1
Effects of environmental changes on microbial ecosystems
Objective 6.2
Adaptation and evolution of life beyond Earth
Objective 7.1
Biosignatures to be sought in Solar System materials
Objective 7.2
Biosignatures to be sought in nearby planetary systems
