Molecular Geomicrobiology Short Course

When December 3, 2005 (Sat) ~ December 4, 2005 (Sun)

Where Berkeley, CA, USA

The Molecular Geomicrobiology Short Course sessions will be held at the University of California , Berkeley December 3-4, 2005. http://www.minsocam.org/msa/sc/MolGeoBio_descrp.html

This short course will review progress that has resulted recently from integrative molecular approaches applied to problems in environmental microbiology, geomicrobiology, and astrobiology; – and discuss areas of high potential for future research.

Senior undergraduate and graduate students are strongly encouraged to attend. The NASA Astrobiology Institute (NAI) is providing funds for 20 students to participate in the short course and will cover their registration and accommodation costs (for non- Bay area students). In rare cases , transportation support may be available. To apply for these scholarships, please contact Javiera at: javiera@seismo.berkeley.edu

Please apply as soon as possible. Applications received after November 1, 2005 will be considered only if slots remain (and after November 1, on a first come basis).

In the application, please state your name, recent and/or current university affiliation(s), and areas of interest (one paragraph). Please explain briefly (few sentences) the basis for your request for financial support. If you request special consideration for travel support, please have a faculty member send a brief accompanying email confirming that no other support is available (if you are an undergraduate not yet enrolled in graduate studies, state this).

Dates: Short Course sessions are December 3 and 4, 2005 starting at 8 a.m. on Saturday and end early afternoon on Sunday so people can attend the American Geophysical Union Meeting in San Francisco , CA that starts Monday, December 5. There is a reception Friday, December 2 from 7:00-10:00 pm.

Location: The sessions will be held at the University of California , International House, 2299 Piedmont Ave., Berkeley, CA 94720-2320 ; phone (510) 642-9490, (530) 757-3259; fax: (530) 757-7943.

Conveners: Jillian F. Banfield and Javiera Cervini-Silva, Kenneth Nealson

SHORT COURSE TOPICS:

• Molecular Geomicrobiology J. Banfield, J. Cervini-Silva, K. Nealson
• Catalysis and Prebiotic Synthesis: Montmorillonite-Catalyzed Synthesis of RNA oligomers J. Ferris
• Building the biomarker tree of life. J. Brocks and A. Pearson
• What genetics offers geobiology D. Newman and J. Gralnick
• Carbon and nitrogen cycling – a molecular history J. Raymond
• Metabolic and genomic evolution over Earth history K. Nelson
• Enzymology of electron transport: energy generation with geochemical consequences J. Fredrickson and T. Di Christina
• Siderophores S. Kraemer , A.Butler, P. Borer, J Cervini-Silva
• The microbe mineral interface G. DeStasio
• Size matters: nanocrystalline products of biomineralization B. Gilbert, J. Banfield
• Geomicrobiological cycling of iron (electron shuttling) A. Kappler & Kristina Straub
• Microbial population dynamics through the lens of extreme environments. R. Whitaker & J. Banfield
• Communities and the organization of metabolism. K. Nealson