The NASA Astrobiology Institute is hosting a second Workshop Without Walls on November 8, 9 & 10, 2010. Participants will discuss ‘top down’ origin of life research, which will ultimately allow a rewinding of the evolutionary record of biochemical processes and assemblies.

Organized by John Peters and Loren Williams, PIs of the NAI’s Montana State University and Georgia Tech teams, a primary goal of the workshop is to foster new interdisciplinary collaborations across the worldwide community.

Session topics will include

  • Phylogenetic Studies on Key Enzymes Involved in Information Pathways and Metabolism
  • The Evolutionary History of Protein Synthesis
  • Minerals to Enzymes – Bridging the Gap Between Metal Based Abiotic and Biological Chemistry
  • Phylogenetic Reconstruction/Resurrection – A Glimpse into Extinct Biochemistry
  • What can Modern Biological Energy Transformation Systems Tell Us About Conditions on the Early Earth?
  • Linking the Evolutionary Record to the Geological Record

The workshop is open to all and is accessible via internet browser—no special software or equipment is required. Once again we look forward to a productive conference with a low carbon footprint and without registration fees, the hassle of travel, and time away from family.

More information is available here, including a preliminary list of speakers and a registration form. Please join in for what promises to be an exciting workshop!