NASA Astrobiology Institute (NAI)

Emerging Topics in Biogeochemical Cycles (ETBC)

March 4, 2009 / Posted by: Aaron Gronstal

The National Science Foundation (NSF) recently announced further support for interdisciplinary research concerning biogeochemical cycles and processes that involve the biological, atmospheric, geological, oceanographic and hydrological sciences. The goal of the program is to “advance our quantitative and/or mechanistic understanding of biogeochemical cycles”. Proposals are being accepted that integrate physical, geological, chemical, and/or hydrologic processes with biological processes over various temporal and/or spatial scales and/or various levels of biological organization.

Biogeochemical cycles play an important role in making Earth habitable for life as we know it. Understanding these cycles is essential in determining what makes a planet habitable and where best to search for habitable environments in our solar system and beyond.

For further information from the National Science Foundation, click here.

Finding Earth’s Twin: No Easy Task

March 2, 2009 / Written by: Henry Bortman

NASA’s new Kepler mission is scheduled to launch in just a couple of days. Once in orbit, the powerful telescope will provide astrobiologists with the ability to search for rocky, Earth-like planets around distant stars. Ultimately, Kepler will help us determine if these potentially life-supporting worlds are common or rare in the Universe.

Source: [Astrobiology Magazine]

Earthscope – Opportunities for Interdisciplinary Research

Earthscope – Opportunities for Interdisciplinary Research

From the NSF

The National Science Foundation has released updated information about the Division of Earth Science’s Earthscope program. The Division of Earth Sciences provides support for research concerning the Earth’s structure, evolution and interaction with the Earth’s biosphere. The Earthscope program is focused on opportunities for scientists concerned with the evolution of the continents and processes within the crust, mantle and lithosphere of Earth. The program is committed to supporting interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary research, and is particularly interested in proposals in emerging fields.

Studying the processes behind plate tectonics on Earth is essential in determining how life originated and evolved alongside our ever-changing planet. Fields such as geobiology have begun to play an important role in understanding the history of life on Earth and the potential for life on other planets.

For program information and submission deadlines, click here.

Kepler's Search for "Alien Earths" Covered by CNN

February 25, 2009 / Posted by: Daniella Scalice

NASA’s Kepler mission, which will search for Earth-like planets in our galaxy, launches next week. CNN.com has the full story, including a special video interview with the mission’s Principal Investigator, Bill Borucki.

Evolution of the Modern Nitrogen Cycle

February 23, 2009 / Posted by: Daniella Scalice

NAI’s Deep Time Drilling Project supported the drilling of several pristine cores from ancient rocks in Western Australia in 2004, and a new paper in this week’s Science, led by University of Washington astrobiologists, outlines results from the analysis of these cores. The nitrogen isotope values in the core from the 2.5-billion-year-old Mount McRae Shale vary over 30 meters, evidently recording a temporary change from an anaerobic to an aerobic nitrogen cycle, and back again to anaerobic. Other data suggest that nitrification occurred in response to a small increase in surface-ocean oxygenation. The data imply that nitrifying and denitrifying microbes had already evolved by the late Archean and were present before oxygen first began to accumulate in the atmosphere.

The discovery also gives clues about when and how the Earth’s atmosphere became oxygen rich. Geochemical examination of stratigraphic samples from the core indicates that atmospheric oxygen rose in a temporary “whiff” about 2.5 billion years ago. The whiff lasted long enough to be recorded in the nitrogen isotope record, then oxygen dropped back to very low levels before the atmosphere became permanently oxygenated about 2.3 billion years ago.

Alien Safari Part 4: Countdown to Alien Life

February 23, 2009 / Posted by: Aaron Gronstal

At the most recent NASA Astrobiology Science Conference, a panel of scientists discussed different types of planets where we might find alien life. In part four of this series, the panelists discuss the time it will take for us to discover alien life in the universe.

Source: [Astrobiology Magazine]

Cycling Nitrogen

February 22, 2009 / Posted by: Aaron Gronstal

NASA-funded researchers at the University of Washington have shown that microorganisms completed large-scale steps in the their evolution by 2.5 billion years ago. This means that the major branches of microbial life were before we have any record of them. One important aspect of this evolution was the development of microbes capable of fixing nitrogen. This metabolic pathway had profound effects on the environment of Earth and the evolution of all life on our planet.

Source: [Astrobiology Magazine]

Unlocking the Combination

February 18, 2009 / Posted by: Aaron Gronstal

Researchers in the field of synthetic biology are still a long way away from being able to assemble living cells from raw materials. However, their research is now yielding important clues about the origin of life on Earth. By studying how molecules self-assemble, a team of scientists from UC Santa Cruz is shedding light on how the first protocells were able to capture energy and nutrients from the environment – ultimately allowing for growth and reproduction. The results of their research were recently presented at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in Chicago.

Source: [Astrobiology Magazine]

Assembling the Tree of Life

February 18, 2009 / Posted by: Aaron Gronstal

Unique scientific endeavors, ranging from whole genome sequencing to studies on lateral gene transfer, are transforming the science of biology in the 21st century. All of this data requires new ways of organizing information in an evolutionary context. The goal of the NSF’s Assembling the Tree of Life activity is to help facilitate the effort of organizing data on all 1.7 million described species of organisms thus far. The NSF recently announced its intention to support “creative and innovative research that will resolve evolutionary relationships for large groups of organisms throughout the history of life.” The program will yield invaluable research tools for astrobiologists concerned with the origin and evolution of life on our planet, and the potential for life on other worlds.

For information on the program and application process, click here.

Source: [NSF]

Alien Safari Part 3: Technology Worlds

February 16, 2009 / Posted by: Aaron Gronstal

At the most recent NASA Astrobiology Science Conference, a panel of scientists talked about planets where alien life might be found. In the third segment of this series, Jill Tarter describes different kinds of Technology Worlds.

Source: [Astrobiology Magazine]