NASA Astrobiology Institute (NAI)

Pennsylvania State University

Executive Summary

Penn State Executive Summary

Project Reports

Castleman Report

Evolution of a Habitable Planet (Brantley)

Evolution of Atmospheric O2, Climate, and Biosphere (Ohmoto)

Examination of the Microbial Diversity Found in Ice Cores (Brenchley)

Ferry Report

Genomic Record of the Earth's Early Biosphere (Hedges)

Genomics of sulfidic cave extremophiles (Supplement to NNA04CC06A)

Investigations of Modern Analogues of Precambrian Microbial Ecosystems

Laboratory Microbial Simulations

Modeling Early Atmospheric Composition and Climate (Kasting)

PSARC: Evolution of a Habitable Planet

Rise of Oxygen, Modern Analogs for Anoxic Oceans, and Effect of early life on soil development

Search for Planets Around Evolved Stars (Wolszczan)

EPO Reports

Project Reports

Organized by Astrobiology Roadmap Objective

Goal 1: Understand the nature and distribution of habitable environments in the Universe

• Objective 1.1: Models of formation and evolution of habitable planets (4 reports)
• Objective 1.2: Indirect and direct astronomical observations of extrasolar habitable planets (2 reports)

Goal 2: Explore for past or present habitable environments, prebiotic chemistry and signs of life elsewhere in our Solar System

• Objective 2.1: Mars exploration (2 reports)

Goal 4: Understand how past life on Earth interacted with its changing planetary and Solar System environment

• Objective 4.1: Earth's early biosphere (5 reports)
• Objective 4.2: Foundations of complex life (1 reports)
• Objective 4.3: Effects of extraterrestrial events upon the biosphere (4 reports)

Goal 5: Understand the evolutionary mechanisms and environmental limits of life

• Objective 5.1: Environment-dependent, molecular evolution in microorganisms (3 reports)
• Objective 5.2: Co-evolution of microbial communities (2 reports)
• Objective 5.3: Biochemical adaptation to extreme environments (2 reports)

Goal 6: Understand the principles that will shape the future of life, both on Earth and beyond

• Objective 6.1: Environmental changes and the cycling of elements by the biota, communities, and ecosystems (4 reports)
• Objective 6.2: Adaptation and evolution of life beyond Earth (2 reports)

Goal 7: Determine how to recognize signatures of life on other worlds and on early Earth

• Objective 7.1: Biosignatures to be sought in Solar System materials (3 reports)
• Objective 7.2: Biosignatures to be sought in nearby planetary systems (2 reports)