Scarce Shelter on Mars

Microbes that hitch a ride on a spacecraft might make it all the way to Mars, but a recent study finds they probably won’t survive for very long there. A team of researchers at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center has been freezing, irradiating and generally pummeling microbes with harsh living conditions in an attempt to understand how life may or may not survive on Mars. The results of the research will be used in developing effective contamination controls for future missions, and may also help scientists understand how to search for biosignatures on Mars.

Source: [Astrobiology Magazine]

June 4, 2009 / Written by: Jeremy Hsu

Biosignatures in Ancient Rocks Workshop Proceedings Now Available

In September, 2007, an NAI co-sponsored workshop entitled “Biosignatures in Ancient Rocks” was held in Ontario, Canada. Spearheaded by experts in the field, workshop attendees heard lectures, participated in discussions, and examined field sites toward a greater understanding of early Earth biosignatures, what the remaining major questions and problems are, and how they can be answered and solved. The proceedings from the workshop are available in the current issue of Astrobiology.

January 20, 2009 / Posted by: Daniella Scalice

Extracellular Protein-Metal Aggregates: A New Biosignature?

Deep inside a flooded mine in Wisconsin, scientists from NAI’s University of California, Berkeley Team have discovered an environment in which bacteria emit proteins that sweep up metal nanoparticles into immobile clumps. Their finding may lead to innovative ways to remediate subsurface metal toxins, and have exciting implications for identifying biosignatures on Earth and other worlds. The research, published in the June 14th issue of Science, was done in collaboration with a team from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

Source: [Link]

June 13, 2007 / Posted by: Shige Abe