"Which are the condition for a planet to support life and how we can determine the habital zone and what means this habital zone? Thanks! "
Content with the tag: “nai cub team”
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Astrobiology Researchers Earn Kudos
Four researchers whose work is supported by NASA’s Astrobiology Program were singled out for recognition by their scientific peers last year. Norman R. Pace, Mitchell L. Sogin, John P. Grotzinger, and Nora Noffke all received awards in 2007 for their contributions to science.
Norman Pace, professor of molecular, cellular, and developmental biology at the University of Colorado in Boulder, earned the American Society for Microbiology (ASM) 2007 Abbott-ASM Lifetime Achievement Award for outstanding contributions to the field of microbial ecology. Pace is a member of the NASA Astrobiology Institute research team headed by the...
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What Is Life? Definition vs. Theory
NAI’s “Philosopher in Residence” Carol Cleland of the University of Colorado Team is featured in this thought provoking article from SEED magazine. It gives a history of the problem of defining life, from Schrodinger’s “that which avoids the decay into equillibrium,” through the molecular revolution, and examines it in the context of ALH84001.
Source: [Link]
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NASA Astrobiologists Elected to National Academy of Sciences
Congratulations are due to astrobiologists Donald E. Canfield and Paul G. Falkowski for their election to the distinguished ranks of membership in the National Academy of Sciences.
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Final Assembly of Earth-Like Planets
NAI Postdoctoral Fellow Sean Raymond leads a team of authors from NAI’s University of Colorado, Boulder, and University of Arizona Teams, and Virtual Planetary Laboratory and University of Washington Alumni Teams in a new publication in Astrobiology. They present analysis of water delivery and planetary habitability in 5 high-resolution simulations forming 15 terrestrial planets. Their results outline a new model for water delivery to terrestrial planets in dynamically calm systems, which may be very common in the Galaxy.
Source: [Link]
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NAI Scientist Receives Hazel Barnes Prize
Margaret Tolbert from NAI’s University of Colorado, Boulder Team, is receiving the 2007 UC-Boulder Hazel Barnes Prize. This prize is the University’s most prestigious faculty award. Tolbert has earned it, UC-Boulder has announced, “for her contributions to understanding the chemistry and climate of planetary atmospheres, including past and present,” and “for her teaching and research efforts with undergraduates and graduate students, 15 of whom have won prestigious NASA and Environmental Protection Agency fellowships in recent years.” Congratulations Margaret!
Source: [Link]
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NAI Scientists Honored by American Society for Microbiology
The American Society for Microbiology recently announced its 2007 General Meeting Award Laureates, and two NAI scientists have received honors. Mitch Sogin, PI of NAI’s Marine Biological Laboratory Team, is presented with the USFCC/J. Roger Porter Award for his research in environmental microbial diversity. Norm Pace, from NAI’s University of Colorado, Boulder Team, is presented with the Abbott/ASM Lifetime Achievement Award for his outstanding contributions and research in the field of microbial ecology. Congratulations Norm and Mitch!
Source: [Link]
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Biogeochemistry and Oxygenic Photosynthesis
Researchers from NAI’s University of Colorado, Boulder Team recently reported in Earth and Planetary Science Letters their new biogeochemical model relating to the Great Oxidation Event. With ion microprobe data for individual sulfides from water-lain sedimentary units in the 2.45–2.22 Ga Huronian Supergroup, the team proposes a new model where enhanced weathering rates during interglacial thawing stimulated blooms of oxygenic photosynthesis, the demise of methane, and ultimately the irreversible rise in atmospheric oxygen between the first and second Huronian glaciations. The paper’s lead author was also the recipient of an NAI Research Scholarship in 2004.
Source: [Link]
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Organic Hazes on Early Earth and Titan
Researchers from NAI’s Unviersity of Colorado, Boulder and University of Arizona Teams have published a new study in PNAS this week about the atmospheres of both present day Titan and early Earth. For Titan, their experiments modeled conditions measured by the Huygens probe from NASA’s Cassini mission, and CO2 was added to model the early Earth conditions. They conclude that organize haze can form over a wide range of methane and carbon dioxide concentrations.
Source: [Link]
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NASA Study Shows Titan and Early Earth Atmospheres are Similar
Organic haze in the atmosphere of Saturn’s moon, Titan, is similar to haze in early Earth’s air — haze that may have helped nourish life on our planet— according to a NASA Astrobiology Institute study released Nov. 6, 2006.
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Exotic Earths
Collaborators from NAI’s Teams at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, University of Colorado, Boulder, and Penn State as well as the former Virtual Planetary Lab Team have a paper this week in Science discussing the possible formation of “Exotic Earths.” Their models have simulated terrestrial planet growth during and after inward giant planet migration. Their results cause them to speculate that more than a third of the known systems of giant planets may harbor Earth-like planets.
Source: [Link]
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Planets Around the Stars
Researchers from NAI’s University of Washington, University of Colorado, Boulder, and Virtual Planetary Laboratory Teams have developed models testing planet formation in four known systems, 55 Cancri, HD 38529, HD 37124 and HD 74156. Placing Mars to Moon-sized planet embryos between giant planets and allowing them to evolve for 100 million years, they found terrestrial planets formed readily in 55 Cancri, sometimes with substantial water and orbits in the system’s habitable zone. They found HD 38529 is likely to support an asteroid belt and Mars-sized or smaller bodies but no notable terrestrial planets. No planets formed in HD 37124...
Source: [Link]
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Akilia Revisited
Scientists from NAI’s UCLA and University of Colorado, Boulder Teams recently published their new geologic and geochemical analysis of the ancient rocks on Akilia Island in West Greenland which were the subject of a controversial Nature paper ten years ago. This new study includes a thorough geologic map of the area, and, using the ion-microprobe to analyze carbon inclusions in the rock, outlines a carbon isotopic ratio indicative of life’s signature. Their work appears in the current issue of the American Journal of Science.
Source: [Link]
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Chemical Energy for Life on Early Earth and Mars
Researchers from NAI’s NASA Ames Research Center and University of Colorado, Boulder Teams published in the current issue of Astrobiology their study of the petrology and mineral chemistry of a cold spring in Northern California. They propose that the serpentinization process can provide a source of energy for chemosynthetic organisms, and outline criteria to aid in the identification of serpentinizing terranes on Mars.
Source: [Link]
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Biodiversity in Hypersaline Mats
Researchers at NAI’s University of Colorado, Boulder and Marine Biological Laboratory Team published their analysis of biodiversity in hypersaline microbial mats in a recent issue of Applied and Environmental Microbiology. Bacteria dominated the mat in unprecedented diversity representing 752 species, including 15 novel candidate phyla.
Source: [Link]
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Alternative Model for Diagenesis of Meridiani Bedrock
Tom McCollom of NAI’s University of Colorado Lead Team and his co-author Brian Hynek published the details of their alternative model today in Nature. The scenario does not require prolonged interaction with a standing body of surface water, and describes an environment less favorable to biological activity on Mars.
Source: [Link]
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Shark Bay Stromatolites Revealed
Members of NAI’s University of Colorado Team published a study of the composition and structure of the Shark Bay stromatolites in this month’s Applied and Environmental Microbiology. Their rRNA studies revealed the most abundant sequences representing novel proteobacteria, with a surprising less than 5% representing cyanobacteria.
Source: [Link]
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Microbial Ecology of Hot Spring Communities in Yellowstone
New studies from NAI’s University of Colorado team published in the February 15, 2005 issue of PNAS implicate the oxidation of molecular hydrogren as the source of energy for primary productivity in high temperature microbial ecosystems in Yellowstone.
Source: [Link]
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Increased H2S in the Deep Ocean - Bad News for Life?
NAI scientists on the Penn State and University of Colorado teams published recently in Geology their studies showing that increases in the level of hydrogen sulfide in the deep ocean during oceanic anoxic periods in Earth’s history could cause elevated H2S levels in shallower waters and in the atmosphere. This may have caused, they propose, destruction of the ozone shield and an increase in atmospheric methane, and may have helped spell the end for life at several extinction events.
Source: [Link]
Understanding the Microbial Ecology of Geologically-based Chemolithoautotrophic Communities
- 16srrna 17p 79 ceti 85p 1999 1999 and 2000 2000 2008 aas abiogenic abiogenic methane abiotic abiotic synthesis abscicon abundances acid mine drainage acidophile activity adaptive optics adenosine triphosphate aerobic aerosol aerosols akila akilia island algae algal-sarcodine photosymbiotic relationships algal cultures alh84001 alien life allan hills alpha centauri altiplano alvin amase american astronomical society american type culture collection amino acid amino acids ammonia ammonia formation ammonium amorphization anaerobic analog environments ancient earth ancient pathways. andes and k content anoxia biomarker permian cambrian terrestrial paleosol oxygen archean proterozoic biogeochemistry extinction euxinia hydrogen sulfide sulfur bacteria anoxic environment anoxygenic photosynthesis antarctica antarctic endolithic communities antartic antartica antennas aqueous alteration archae archaea archaeoglobus archea archean arctic area 9 arid and semi-arid soils aromatic asap 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deuterium deutertation devonian devon island dice dinosaurs director direct planet detection disk-averaged spectra. disk chemistry disks dissimilatory dissimilatory iron reduction distributed temperature sensor diversity dna dna. dna damage dna sequencing dolomite dolphin drilling dune dust dust flux dwarf star dynamical modeling dynamic global vegetation model dynamics e. coli ea early atmosphere early atmospheres early earth early earth geochemistry early evolution of life early life early mars early planetary system evolution early solar system earth earth’s early biosphere earth's early atmosphere earth's water earth-like planets earth and planetary science letters earth and planetary science letters (journal) earth evolution earth formation earthshine east pacific rise eclipsing ecogenomics ecosystem model edax education electric discharge electrochemistry electrocorrosion electronic arts element fractionation el ni�o embedded star formation enceladus encyclopedia of life endosymbiosis endourance endurance england environments enzyme enzymes eoarchean epimerases epoxi erosion esa ethane eubacteria eukaryote eukaryote evolution eukaryotes eukaryotic-specific primers eukaryotic microbial community europa evaporation evaporite evolution evolution and environment exo-planetary systems exobiology exoplanet exoplanets exosolar planets expose express extra-solar planets extrasolar life extrasolar planet extrasolar planets extraterrestrial extraterrestrial life extreme conditions extreme environment extreme environments extreme life extremeophiles extremephiles extremophiles faint companion farmer fe fe isotopes femtochemistry fiction fieldwork in april of 1999 in the tinto river located in the huelva district of southwestern spain fingerprint fischer-tropsch catalysis flood fluorescence in situ hybridization focus group formation routes forward contamination fossil fossils fracture frogs functional genomics funding fungi fu orionis fuse future of life galaxies 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iron-sulfur minerals iron concentrations iron formation iron isotope fractionation iron oxide iron oxidizing bacteria iron reduction kinetics irons-sulfur surfaces iron spectromicroscopy irradation irradiation ir spectroscopy isomerases isotope isotopes isotopic fractionation iss issol jack hills jakoba incarcerata jakoba libera jakobids jarosite journal:earth journal: journal of geophysical research journal of bacteriology journal of the american chemical society jpl jupiter kbo kbo size distribution kepler key nutrient metals kuiper belt kuiper belt objects laboratory laboratory investigation laboratory science lake lakes landsat tm data laser laser desorption lassen lassen volcanic national park late accretion late bombardment ldn 673 left-handed lefty level of analysis lexen program life life and environment life elsewhere in the universe life in extreme life in our solar system life on mars light lightning li isotopes lipids liquid liquid chromatography mass spectrometry lithic clasts lithophiles living in the microbial world: summer teacher enhancement - august 1999 lmt low-mass low-mass stars low albedo deposits lunar-like satellites lunar exploration lunar impacts m�ssbauer mafic maghemite magnesite magnet magnetic field magnetic fields magnetic fields - stars magnetite magnets main belt asteroids main belt comets maine malawimonas jakobiformis maps marco polo marine ecology marine sediments eukaryotes mars mars. mars analog mars analog. mars analogs mars analog site mars analogues mars atmosphere mars environmental chamber mars exploration mars express mars glaciers mars global surveyor mars habitability mars life mars maps mars methane mars orbiter mars reconnaissance orbiter mars rovers mars science laboratory mars time mars water martian analogues martian atmosphere martian channels martian dynamo martian meteorites martian oceans mass extinction mass extinctions mbcs mcmurdo dry valleys m dwarfs m dwarf stars media membranes mercury messenger metabolic chemistry metagenome metagenomics metal isotope fractionation metal sulfides metamorphism meteor meteorite meteorites meteoritic organics meteors meterite meterorites methane methane cycle methanococcus methanogen methanogenesis methanogens methanopyrus methodology mexico micro-oxic environment microbes microbial microbial communities microbial community microbial community population structures microbial diversity microbial ecology microbial ecosystem microbial ecosystems microbial evolution microbial evolutionary processes. microbial geochemistry microbialite microbialites microbial life microbial mat microbial mats microbiology microgravity microlensing microorganisms microscopy miller-urey miller-urey experiments mineral biosignature mineralogy mirs missions mitochondria mixed cation carbonates mo model interface models mojave molecular-level computer simulations molecular beam molecular biology and evolution (journal) molecular cloud molecular clouds molecular evolution molecular hydrogen molecular mechanics molecular spectroscopy molecular weight molecules molecules of life molybdenum molybdenum isotope fractionation monocarboxylic acids moon moon and planets moons mrna mro msl msl (mars science laboratory) m star m stars multi-realizable processes multiple-planet system murchison music mutualism mycobacterium tuberculosis mysql nad nai nai arc team nai asu team nai berkeley team nai cal team nai ciw team nai cub team nai gsfc team nai har team nai hawaii team nai iptai team nai mbl team nai minority institution research support nai mit team nai montana team nai msu team nai postdoctoral fellow nai psu team nai seti team nai ua team nai ucb team nai ucla team nai uh team nai uri team nai uw team nai virus focus group nai vpl at jpl nai vpl at jpl team nai vpl at uw team nai wisconsin team nano-fibers nano-satellite nanoparticles nasa arc nasa history nasa jpl nasa tv nasda nature (journal) ndvi variations near near earth asteroid rendezvous nebular organics neoproterozoic neteritics and planetary science (journal) new horizons new planets new york times nitrate nitrite nitrogenase nitrogen cycle nitrogen cycling nitrogen fixation nitrogen reduction non-el ni�o non-lte effects novel proteins npr ntiric oxide nucleic acids nucleobases numerical simulations obituary ocean ocean-bottom ocean crust ocean drilling program oceans odyssey olympus mons ophiolites opportunity optical microscopy orbital light curves oreos organic organic molecules organics organic synthesis origin of ion channels origin of life origin of transmembrane proteins origins of life origins of protein function orion nebula-like osmium isotopes outer solar system outgassing outreach oven ovens oxidation oxidative stress oxidize acetate anaerobicallly oxygen oxygenic photosynthesis oxygen isotopes ozone ozone production pah paleobiology paleoecology paleoproterozoic paleosol pan-starrs panspermia parachute parasitism past-ecosystem process model past-sea surface 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