Astrobiology: Life in the Universe

NASA Astrobiology Institute (NAI)


  1. Now showing: Years 2005, 2008 projects that addressed Astrobiology Roadmap Objective 3.1

  2. Roadmap Goal 3: Understand how life originates from cosmic and planetary precursors

    Objective 3.1: Sources of prebiotic materials and catalysts

    Untitled

    Year: 2008 / TEAM: CUB / ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.1, 2.1, 2.2, 3.1, 4.1

    Establishment of the Goddard Analytical Astrobiology Laboratory

    Year: 2005 / TEAM: GSFC / ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 3.1, 3.3, 3.4

    1. From Molecular Clouds to Habitable Planetary Systems

    Year: 2008 / TEAM: CIW / ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.1, 1.2, 2.1, 2.2, 3.1

    2. Extraterrestrial Materials: Origin and Evolution of Organic Matter and Water in the Solar System

    Year: 2008 / TEAM: CIW / ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.1, 2.1, 3.1

    3. Prebiotic Chemical and Isotopic Evolution on Earth

    Year: 2008 / TEAM: CIW / ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 3.1, 4.1, 4.2, 7.1

    4. Prebiotic Molecular Selection and Organization

    Year: 2008 / TEAM: CIW / ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 3.1, 3.2, 3.4, 4.1, 7.1

    5. Life in Extreme Environments

    Year: 2008 / TEAM: CIW / ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 3.1, 5.1, 5.3, 6.2, 7.1

    6. Molecular and Isotopic Biosignatures

    Year: 2008 / TEAM: CIW / ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 2.1, 3.1, 4.1, 4.2, 5.3, 6.1, 7.1, 7.2

    7. Astrobiotechnology

    Year: 2008 / TEAM: CIW / ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 2.1, 2.2, 3.1, 3.2, 5.3, 6.2, 7.1

    A mechanism for the association of amino acids with their codons and the origin of the genetic code.

    Year: 2005 / TEAM: CUB / ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 3.1, 3.2

    A New Paradigm for Organic Chemistry in the Nebula: Protostars as Chemical Factories

    Year: 2005 / TEAM: GSFC / ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 3.1

    A Self-Perpetuating Catalyst for the Production of Organics in Protostellar Nebulae

    Year: 2008 / TEAM: GSFC / ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.1, 3.1

    Abiotic Nitrogen Cycling

    Year: 2008 / TEAM: SETI / ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.1, 1.2, 2.1, 3.1

    Advancing Techniques for in situ Analysis of Complex Organics

    Year: 2008 / TEAM: GSFC / ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 2.1, 2.2, 3.1, 3.2, 7.1

    An Astronomical Search for the Essential Ingredients for Life: Placing Our Habitable System in Context.

    Year: 2005 / TEAM: UA / ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.1, 1.2, 3.1, 3.2, 4.3

    Astrobiology Winter School

    Year: 2005 / TEAM: UH / ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 2.2, 3.1, 6.1, 7.1

    Biological potential of Mars

    Year: 2008 / TEAM: CUB / ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 2.1, 3.1

    Biomimetic Cluster Synthesis: Bridging the Structure and Reactivity of Biotic and Abiotic Iron-Sulfur Motifs

    Year: 2008 / TEAM: MSU / ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 7.1, 7.2

    Brownlee and Matrajt

    Year: 2005 / TEAM: UW / ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 3.1

    Chemical Models of Nebular Processes

    Year: 2005 / TEAM: GSFC / ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.1, 3.1

    Chemistry Models for Extrasolar Planets

    Year: 2005 / TEAM: VPL / ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.1, 1.2, 2.1, 2.2, 3.1, 6.1, 7.1, 7.2

    Chiral determinism and the origin of translation

    Year: 2005 / TEAM: CUB / ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 3.1, 3.2, 4.2

    Chondritic Meteorites as Records of Aqueous Activity on Asteroidal Parent Bodies

    Year: 2005 / TEAM: UH / ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 2.2, 3.1

    Climate, Habitability, and the Atmosphere on early Mars

    Year: 2008 / TEAM: CAL / ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.1, 1.2, 3.1, 6.1, 7.1, 7.2

    Cometary Water and Volatile Abundances

    Year: 2005 / TEAM: UH / ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 2.2, 3.1

    Computational Chemical Modeling the Link Between Structure and Reactivity of Iron-Sulfur Motifs

    Year: 2008 / TEAM: MSU / ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 7.1, 7.2

    Cosmic Ice Laboratory: Organic Synthesis in Energetically Processed Ices

    Year: 2005 / TEAM: GSFC / ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 2.2, 3.1, 7.1

    Current Status and Future Bioastronomy with the Large Millimeter Telescope

    Year: 2008 / TEAM: GSFC / ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 3.1

    Darwinian Chemistry

    Year: 2005 / TEAM: UW / ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 2.1, 2.2, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 5.2, 5.3, 6.1, 6.2, 7.1

    Deep Impact Target Characterization

    Year: 2005 / TEAM: UH / ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 2.2, 3.1

    Extrasolar Planetary Systems and the Potential for Terrestrial Planets

    Year: 2005 / TEAM: UCLA / ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.1, 1.2, 3.1

    Formation of astrobiologically important molecules in water-rich environments

    Year: 2005 / TEAM: UH / ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 3.1, 3.2

    Formation of Molecular Hydrogen via Interaction of Ionizing Radiation with Hydrocarbon Ices in the Interstellar Medium

    Year: 2008 / TEAM: UH / ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 3.1

    Formation of Nitrogenated Aromatics in the Interstellar Medium

    Year: 2008 / TEAM: SETI / ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 3.1

    Functional Genomics of Thioredoxins in Halobacterium sp. NRC-1

    Year: 2008 / TEAM: CUB / ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 3.1, 3.2, 5.1, 5.3

    Geochemical Production of Methane on Mars

    Year: 2005 / TEAM: UCLA / ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 2.1, 3.1, 7.2

    Hydrodynamic Escape from Planetary Atmospheres

    Year: 2008 / TEAM: VPL-UW / ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.1, 2.1, 3.1

    In Situ Measurements Protocols and Techniques for Analysis of Organics in Comets

    Year: 2005 / TEAM: GSFC / ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 3.1

    Isotope effects in atmospheric sulfur chemistry (Castleman)

    Year: 2005 / TEAM: PSU / ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 3.1, 4.1

    Isotopic Signatures of Methane and Higher Hydrocarbon Gases from Precambrian Shield Sites: A Model for Abiogenic Polymerization of Hydrocarbons

    Year: 2008 / TEAM: IPTAI / ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.1, 2.1, 3.1, 4.1, 4.2, 6.1, 7.1, 7.2

    Laser Mass Spectrometry Technique Development for Analysis of Complex Organics in Cometary and Meteritic Materials

    Year: 2005 / TEAM: GSFC / ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 3.1, 7.1

    Mass Extinction Events, The longest Snowball Earth Event, the evolution of Oxygenic Photosynthesis, and TPW Induced Perturbations of the Carbon Cycle.

    Year: 2005 / TEAM: UW / ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 3.1, 3.3, 4.1, 4.3, 6.1

    Mechanistical Studies on the Non-Equilibrium Chemistry of Unusual Carbon Oxide in Solar System Ices

    Year: 2008 / TEAM: UH / ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 2.2, 3.1

    Modeling grain surface reaction pathways for large organic molecules

    Year: 2008 / TEAM: UH / ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 3.1

    Module 1: The Building Blocks of Life

    Year: 2008 / TEAM: UA / ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 3.1, 3.2, 4.2, 7.1

    Module 2: Formation of Habitable Planetary Systems

    Year: 2008 / TEAM: UA / ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.1, 1.2, 3.1

    Molecular Beam Studies of Nitrogen Reactions on Iron-Sulfur Surfaces

    Year: 2008 / TEAM: MSU / ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 7.1, 7.2

    Molecular Deuteration on grain surfaces

    Year: 2008 / TEAM: UH / ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 3.1

    Organic and Inorganic Acids from Ion-irradiated Ices

    Year: 2008 / TEAM: GSFC / ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 2.2, 3.1, 7.1

    Origin and Evloution of Organics in Planetary Systems

    Year: 2005 / TEAM: GSFC / ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.1, 3.1

    Origin and Evolution of Organics

    Year: 2008 / TEAM: GSFC / ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.1, 2.1, 3.1

    Origin and Evolution of Organics in Planetary Systems

    Year: 2005 / TEAM: GSFC / ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.1, 2.2, 3.1

    Origin and Evolution of Organics in Planetary Systems

    Year: 2008 / TEAM: GSFC / ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.1, 3.1, 3.2

    Origin of Life and Catalysis - Philosophical Considerations

    Year: 2008 / TEAM: MSU / ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 4.2

    Philosophical Problems in Astrobiology; issues on the origin of life,

    Year: 2008 / TEAM: CUB / ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 4.1, 4.2

    Planet Formation and Dynamical Modeling

    Year: 2008 / TEAM: VPL-UW / ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.1, 3.1, 4.3

    Planet Formation and Dynamical Modeling

    Year: 2008 / TEAM: CUB / ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.1, 3.1, 6.2

    Planetary Biology, Evolution and Intelligence (project)

    Year: 2005 / TEAM: SETI / ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.1, 1.2, 2.1, 2.2, 3.1, 3.2, 4.1, 4.2, 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 6.1, 6.2, 7.1, 7.2

    Prebiotic Organics from Space

    Year: 2005 / TEAM: ARC / ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.1, 3.1, 3.4, 4.3, 7.1, 7.2

    Prebiotic Organics from Space

    Year: 2008 / TEAM: ARC / ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.1, 2.1, 2.2, 3.1, 3.4, 4.3, 7.1, 7.2

    Prebiotic Synthesis: Experimental Studies (Schoonen)

    Year: 2005 / TEAM: PSU / ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 3.1

    Probing the Structure and Nitrogen Reduction Activity of Iron-Sulfur Minerals

    Year: 2008 / TEAM: MSU / ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 7.1, 7.2

    Project 1. From Molecular Clouds to Habitable Planetary Systems

    Year: 2005 / TEAM: CIW / ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.1, 1.2, 2.1, 3.1, 7.2

    Project 2. Extraterrestrial Materials: Origin and Evolution of Organic Matter and Water in the Solar System

    Year: 2005 / TEAM: CIW / ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.1, 2.1, 3.1

    Project 3. Prebiotic Chemical and Isotopic Evolution on Earth

    Year: 2005 / TEAM: CIW / ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 3.1, 4.1, 7.1

    Project 4. Prebiotic Molecular Selection and Organization

    Year: 2005 / TEAM: CIW / ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 3.1, 3.2, 3.4, 4.1, 7.1

    Project 6. Molecular and Isotopic Biosignatures

    Year: 2005 / TEAM: CIW / ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 3.1, 4.1, 4.2, 6.1, 6.2, 7.1, 7.2

    Project 7. Astrobiotechnology

    Year: 2005 / TEAM: CIW / ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 2.1, 2.2, 3.1, 3.2, 4.2, 5.3, 6.2, 7.1

    Re-tracing Steps Towards a Habitable World: The Biogeochemical Evolution of Sulfur on the Early Earth.

    Year: 2005 / TEAM: CUB / ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.1, 3.1, 4.1, 4.2, 5.2, 5.3, 6.1, 7.1

    Reactions of Aromatics in Extraterrestrial Ice Analogs: Potential Chemical Precursors of Life and False Biosignatures

    Year: 2005 / TEAM: ARC / ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 3.1, 3.2

    Research Activities in the Astrobiology Analytical Laboratory

    Year: 2008 / TEAM: GSFC / ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.1, 2.1, 2.2, 3.1, 7.1

    Stability of methane hydrates in the presence of high salinity brines on Mars

    Year: 2008 / TEAM: IPTAI / ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 2.1, 2.2, 3.1, 7.1, 7.2

    Structure, Function, and Biosynthesis of the Complex Iron-Sulfur Clusters at the Active Sites of Nitrogenases and Hydrogenases

    Year: 2008 / TEAM: MSU / ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 7.1, 7.2

    Studies of Oxidized Carbon in Cometary Ice

    Year: 2005 / TEAM: GSFC / ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 3.1

    Studies of the Influence of X-Rays on the Environment of Stars in the Prebiotic Molecule Formation Era

    Year: 2005 / TEAM: GSFC / ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 3.1

    Sulfur and Phosphorus Cosmochemistry: Implications

    Year: 2008 / TEAM: UA / ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 4.1, 4.3, 5.1, 7.1

    The Abiotic Planetary Model: The Upper and Lower Boundary Condition on the Atmosphere

    Year: 2005 / TEAM: VPL / ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.1, 1.2, 3.1, 4.1, 7.2

    The Diversity of the Original Prebiotic Soup: Re-Analyzing the Original Miller-Urey Spark Discharge Experiments

    Year: 2008 / TEAM: IPTAI / ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 2.1, 3.1, 3.2, 3.4, 4.1, 4.2, 5.1, 6.2, 7.1, 7.2

    The Evolution of Organics in Space

    Year: 2005 / TEAM: GSFC / ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 3.1

    The impact of atmospheric particles on life

    Year: 2005 / TEAM: CUB / ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.1, 2.1, 2.2, 3.1, 4.1, 4.3, 7.1

    The Organic Volatile Composition of Comets: A Window on the Early Solar System

    Year: 2005 / TEAM: GSFC / ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.1, 2.1, 3.1, 4.1, 4.3

    Training for Oxygen: Peroxy in Rocks, Early Life and the Evolution of the Atmosphere

    Year: 2008 / TEAM: SETI / ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.1, 2.1, 3.1, 4.1, 7.2

    UH NAI Executive Summary

    Year: 2005 / TEAM: UH / ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.1, 1.2, 2.1, 2.2, 3.1, 3.2, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 6.1, 6.2, 7.1, 7.2

    Ultra-violet processing of ices in the Rosette Nebula

    Year: 2008 / TEAM: UH / ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 3.1

    Unveiling the evolution and interplay of ice and gas in quiescent clouds

    Year: 2008 / TEAM: UH / ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 3.1

    VLA Observations of the Hot Molecular Core in the Young Stellar Object IRAS 16293-2422 and Proper Motions in the Orion Nebula

    Year: 2005 / TEAM: GSFC / ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 3.1

    X-ray emission from an intermediate-mass young star, protostar binary system and star-forming regions

    Year: 2008 / TEAM: GSFC / ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 3.1

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Change the project list by adding or removing a year. Click a year to add, click the [x] to remove.

  • 2003
  • 2004
  • 2005 [x]
  • 2006
  • 2007
  • 2008 [x]

  • Change the project list by adding or removing a roadmap objective. Click an objective to add, click the [x] to remove.

  • 1.1 Models of formation and evolution of habitable planets
  • 1.2 Indirect and direct astronomical observations of extrasolar habitable planets
  • 2.1 Mars exploration
  • 2.2 Outer Solar System exploration
  • 3.1 [x]
  • 3.2 Origins and evolution of functional biomolecules
  • 3.3 Origins of energy transduction
  • 3.4 Origins of cellularity and protobiological systems
  • 4.1 Earth's early biosphere
  • 4.2 Foundations of complex life
  • 5.1 Environment-dependent, molecular evolution in microorganisms
  • 5.2 Co-evolution of microbial communities
  • 5.3 Biochemical adaptation to extreme environments
  • 6.1 Environmental changes and the cycling of elements by the biota, communities, and ecosystems
  • 6.2 Adaptation and evolution of life beyond Earth
  • 7.1 Biosignatures to be sought in Solar System materials
  • 7.2 Biosignatures to be sought in nearby planetary systems

  • Change the project list by adding or removing a team. Click a team to add, click the [x] to remove.

  • Carnegie Institution of Washington
  • Indiana University, Bloomington
  • Montana State University
  • NASA Ames Research Center
  • NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
  • Pennsylvania State University
  • SETI Institute
  • University of Arizona
  • University of California, Berkeley
  • University of California, Los Angeles
  • University of Colorado, Boulder
  • University of Hawaii
  • University of Washington
  • VPL at University of Washington
  • Virtual Planetary Laboratory (JPL/CalTech)