NAI
2010 Annual Science Report
VPL at University of Washington
Reporting | SEP 2009 – AUG 2010
AbGradCon 2010
Project Summary
The Astrobiology Graduate Student conference is a conference organized by astrobiology graduate students for astrobiology grad students. It provides a comfortable peer forum in which to communicate and discuss research progress and ideas.
Project Progress
The Astrobiology Graduate Student Conference is a meeting for graduate students that distinguishes itself from similar meetings by being organized principally by graduate students. An emphasis is placed on providing a comfortable peer environment in which to talk about research, and network with other astrobiology graduate students from around the world.
The NAI, through the VPL team, has provided support for the last two AbGradCons. Last year, the meeting was held at the University of Washington in Seattle, USA, and two publications describing that meeting were presented at other conferences (Som et al., 2009a; Som et al., 2009b).
This year NAI/VPL also supported AbSciCon, which was held in Talinn, Sweden in July 2010. The funding provided allowed 33 US students to attend the conference. UW students Rika Anderson (Oceanography) and Eva Stüeken (Earth and Space Sciences) represented US students on the international organizing committee for this conference.
Publications
- Som, S., Anderson, R., Antonio, M., Cash, M., Claire, M., Cowan, N., Ewert, M., Goldman, A., Snowden, D. & Stueeken, E. (2009). The 2009 Astrobiology Graduate Student Conference (AbGradCon). Abstract #511. Astrobiology Science Conference. League City, TX,.
- Som, S., Domagal-Goldman, S., Wright, K., Boldt, M. & Antonio, M. (2009). THE ASTROBIOLOGY GRADUATE STUDENT CONFERENCE (ABGRADCON). 60th International Astronautical Congress. Daejeon, South Korea.
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PROJECT INVESTIGATORS:
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PROJECT MEMBERS:
Victoria Meadows
Collaborator
Sanjoy Som
Graduate Student
Eva Stüeken
Graduate Student
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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
