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| Second Astrobiology Science Conference |
7-11 April 2002
NASA Ames Research Center
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| First Astrobiology Science Conference |
3-5 April 2000
NASA Ames Research Center
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The Astrobiology Web: Your Online Guide to the Living Universe TM
Life in Extreme Environments |
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Eukaryotes in extreme environments This website contains descriptions of various extremophiles including anaerobes, thermophiles, psychrophiles, acidophiles, alkalophiles, halophiles, barophiles, and xerophiles. Department of Zoology, The Natural History Museum, London.
Microorganisms in Space An abstract of a presentation made at the 1998 conference "Life: from Local Origins to Global Persistence" that discusses the hazards that an organism would have to surmount (radiation, vaccum, temperature) if it were to hitch a ride (and survive) on a rock ejected from one planet as it travelled and landed upon another.
Bizarre Life Forms Thrive Beneath Earth's Surface This article from NSF Frontiers in 1997 describes research being done into extremophiles found in the depths of the ocean and in rocks deep beneath the Earth's surface.
Ice Worms Website This website at Pennsylvania State University focuses on the discovery of Methane ice worms on Gulf of Mexico sea floor in 1997. These worms ingest bacteria that feed off of methane hydrate deposits in deep, dark, cold ocean depths. This finding is especially exicting when the compostion of other worlds in our solar system is taken into account.
Gardens of Eden This page at PBS features the transcript of an Interview with WIlliam Broad, author of "The Universe Below: Discovering the Secrets of the Deep Sea", which aired on the NewsHour with Jim Lehrer in June 1997.
ExtremophilesThis article from the April 1997 issue of Scientific American examines "microbes that thrive under conditions that would kill other creatures" and takes notice that "The molecules that enable extremophiles to prosper are becoming useful to industry."
Planet of the Bacteria "Bacteria exist in such overwhelming number and such unparalleled variety; they live in such a wide range of environments and work in so many unmatched modes of metabolism." 1996 article in the Washington Post by Stephen Jay Gould.
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TIGR Microbial Database This site at the Institute for Genetic Resources (TIGR) contains a constantly updated listing of microbial genomes and chromosomes whose sequences have either been completed or are in the process of being sequenced. Links are provided to the research laboratories around the world responsible for these sequencing efforts.
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Great bugs of fire - Protein from volcano-loving bug crystallized in space Sulfolobus solfataricus samples were collected from the Solfatara volcanic area near Naples. An ADH enzyme from this organism was later crystallized in space aboard the Space Shuttle. Compared to crystals grown in Earth's gravity, the space crystals showed an improved quality of nearly 35%, and the researchers obtained diffraction data with a significantly higher resolution. [NASA Marshall Space Flight Center]
Life at High Temperatures This page is an online booklet describing the hotsprings at Yellowstone National Park and the thermophillic bacteria that reside within them. Written by Thomas D. Brock at the University of Wisconsin -Madison
Thermus aquaticus This page at the Canadian Museum of Nature features a short description of this organism and how the DNA polymerase enzyme it produces was the cornerstone of the PCR Polymerase Chain Reaction - a DNA sequence amplification process which has revolutionized many aspects of genetics.
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Hypolithic algae at Johnson Canyon: Death Valley sample collection This is a report of a sample collection project to identify locations where hypolithic algae exist and to compare the algae in the dry conditions at locations within the Park to those in other places such as Antarctica, the Gobi, Negev, and Atacama deserts. NASA Center for Mars Exploration.
Endolithic Organisms on Cliffs Description of a Canada Centre for Inland Waters field trip to Guelph wherein cryptoendolithic organisms were found to be living within the limestone and dolostone that formed the cliffs.
Scanning Electron Microscope image of Endolithic Bacteria This page at UC Berkeley shows an SEM image of a calcareous shell of a fossil bryozoan perforated with a network of channels and tunnels, made by bacteria that bore into such shells.
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Microbiologist Brings Ancient Bacteria Back to Life A press release describing the work of Raul Cano who has revived more than 1,200 types of bacteria and other one-celled organisms which have been encased in amber, some of which are as old as 135 million years. California Polytechnic State University.
The Cano Lab This is the main website for the Laboratory of Raul Cano at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. Cano has focused his research on reviving bacteria which have lain dormant as spores inside larger organisms trapped in amber millions of years ago.
Bacteria revived after sitting in amber for 30 million years Raul Cano, a California Polytechnic State University microbiologist says he has succeeded in reviving dormant bacteria from ancient bees. The bacteria apparently survived as spores inside the gut of a bee from amber found in the Dominican Republic. [The Why Files].
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The Atacama Desert Trek In 1997 the Nomad robot sucessfully traversed the Atacoma Desert in northern Chile. This field experiment was intended to demonstrate robotic technologies required for long-distance planetary exploration - such as Mars. [Intelligent Mechanisms Group , NASA Ames Research Center]
Magentite-producing bacteria found in desert varnish Desert varnish, via magnetite, might be a particularly useful paleobiomarker because the extremely dry, oxidizing environment of the desert is akin to that of other planets. Press release from NASA Ames Research Center.
Desert Varnish and Lichen Crust This article at DesertUSA describes desert varnish - a thin coating of manganese, iron, and clays on the surface of sun-baked boulders which is formed by colonies of microscopic bacteria living on the rock surface for thousands of years.
Desert Varnish Desert varnish consists of clays and other particles cemented to rock surfaces by manganese emplaced and oxidized by bacteria living there. It is produced by the physiological activities of microorganisms which are able to take manganese out of the environment, then oxidize and emplace it onto rock surfaces. Canyonlands National park Guide.
What is desert varnish? This website at CalTech contains a description of desert varnish as well as a number of photographs and scanning electron micrographs of various examples.
Desert Varnish And Lichen Crust -Microscopic Organisms Color Boulders An extensive description of the various sorts of desert varnish and the organisms that produce these deposits.
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Deep Dwellers - Microbes thrives far below ground This 1997 article from Science News discusses the history of deep biology and the implications that have arisen from the discovery of bacteria at depths of over 3 kilometers beneath the Earth.
Low life could be at home on Mars Bacteria have been found in deep aquifers within basalt formations that apparently survive without energy input from the Sun, geothermal warmth from the Earth's interior, or chemical energy stored in buried organic matter. Instead, they get their energy from chemical reactions between rock and water. If life exists on Mars, the researchers suggest, it may look something like this. 1997 article in New Scientist.
Researchers Seek Origin of Deep Subsurface Bacteria Life on our planet may have evolved first at depth, then migrated to the surface as the environment became more tolerable. If this is so, the study of deep, subsurface microbial communities may provide another key to exploring our distant past. Ironically, these tiny creatures also may carry keys to our future. [American Geophysical Union].
Microbes Deep Inside the Earth Recently discovered microorganisms that dwell within the earth's crust could reveal clues to the origin of life. Article from the October 1996 issue of Scientific American.
Life Underground This 1996 article at "Planetary Science Research DIscoveries" at the University of Hawaii provides a description of deep subsurface environments and the bacteria that have been found to thrive there. Included are speculations as to what these discoveries might have on the prospects of finding life on other planets.
"SLiME" at Hanford hints at potential for microbes on Mars Two researchers from the Pacific Northwest Laboratory have discovered a microbial ecosystem that is not dependent on photosynthesis. These microbes appear to thrive on chemical energy in basalt, a rock common to Earth and Mars.
The intraterrestrials Deep in the Earth's crust, undreamt-of life forms are scratching a living from little more than barren rock. And if life can survive there, why not inside another planet? This 1998 article from New Scientist Magazine.
Warm havens for life on Mars Hot springs could be just the right places for life on Mars - and later this year NASA is heading back to the Red Planet to look for them. 1996 Article form New Scientist.
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Earth microbes on the moon Apollo 12 carried an inadvertent stowaway: a common bacteria, Streptococcus mitis. 50-100 organisms survived launch, space vacuum, 3 years of radiation exposure, deep-freeze at an average temperature of only 20 degrees above absolute zero, and no nutrient, water or energy source. [NASA Marshall Space Flight Center]
Surveyor III Analysis Surveyor III was not sterilized prior to launch, and scientists wanted to know if terrestrial microorganisms had survived for two and a half years in space. One research group found a small amount of the bacteria Streptococcus mitis in a piece of foam from inside the TV camera. [NASA Johnson Space Center]
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Halophilic Microorganisms This website at the State University of New York-Geneseo contains links to people and organizations interested in halophiles.
Archive for HALOPHILE-L by thread This page contains an archive of messages sent to the HALOPHILE-L mailing list about all aspects of research into halophilic bacteria and the environments they inhabit.
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Archaea Links This page at the University of Illinois contains a large list of links to resources on the Archaea all over the world.
Archaea (Archaebacteria) This page at the University of Arizona's Tree of Life site contains links to bibliographic and research publications on the Archaea.
Taxonomy of Archaea This excellent resource at the National Center for Biotechnology Information contains an exhaustive taxonomic compilation of genomes and genetic sequences for a wide range of Archaea.
Domain Archaea This page presents a phylogenetic overvew of the Archaea including a graphic that shows how the Archaea are related to other forms of life.
The Methanococcus jannaschii Genome Database (MJDB) This website at TIGR, the Genome Research Institute contains the genome of M. jannaschiia nd related information. This was the first genome of an archaeon to be completely sequenced.
Images of various methanogensThis page at the University of Nijmegen, Netherlands contains scanning electron microgrpahs of a variety of methanogens.
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Submarine-tracking network detects deep-sea earthquakes off Oregon Coast, NOAA This 1998 press release describes eruptions of super heated water and dissolved minerals and the significant impact they have on the chemistry and heat distribution of the oceans, with possibly profound effects on everything from sea life to climate.
Creatures of the Thermal Vents This article describes the communities that have been found surrounding deep ocean thermal vents. This article originally appeared in Popular Science and is featured on the Smithsonian's OCean Planet website.
Deep Sea Hydrothermal Vents This page was developed as part of an exhibit of the University of Washington School of Oceanography Exploraquarium.
VENTS Program This program was established at NOAA in 1984 to conduct research on the impacts and consequences of submarine volcanoes and hydrothermal venting on the global ocean.
RIDGE Program Homepage RIDGE (Ridge Inter- Disciplinary Global Experiments) is a NSF initiative that encompasses a wide spectrum, from the physics and chemistry of the deep mantle, the volcanology and geology of ocean crust, the chemistry and biology of hydrothermal vents, plumes, and surrounding waters, and the ecosystems sustained by hydrothermal activity.
British Mid-Ocean Ridge Initiative (BRIDGE) BRIDGE is a research programme planned by a consortium administered through the Natural
Environmental Research Council (NERC) that will investigate the processes that operate during the creation of new ocean crust at mid-ocean ridges, and the biological ecosystems associated with them.
The Deepsea Research Newsgroup The DEEPSEA Research Newsgroup exists to serve as an electronic forum for the world's community of deep-sea and hydrothermal vent/seep biologists, oceanographers, and geologists. Frequent uses of DEEPSEA include searches for specialist literature or opinion, specimen exchange, technical discussions, and general discussions about deep-sea marine biology and geology.
Hydrothermal processes at mid-ocean ridges This document at the American Geophysical Union presents a detailed overview of submarine hydrothermal systems, an integral component of crustal construction along the global system of mid-ocean ridges.
Hydrothermal vent life from the Smithsnoian's
Ocean Planet Exhibition, NASA GSFC SeaWiFS
Hydrothermal Vent Geochemistry Hydrothermal circulation occurs when seawater penetrates into the ocean crust, becomes heated, reacts with the crustal rock, and rises to the seafloor. This page at NOAA provides a detailed graphical representation of the various cycles involved in this process.
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Life in Extreme Environments (LExEn) The LExEn research program at the National Science Foundation explores the relationships between organisms and the environments within which they exist, with a strong emphasis upon those life-supporting environments that exist near the extremes of planetary conditions. LExEn also explores planetary environments in our own solar system and beyond to help identify possible sites for life.
The Microbial Biogeochemistry Group This group at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory focuses on basic microbial ecology and bioremediation in the subsurface and the basic science underlying bioremediation efforts, carbon cycling, and other uses of biotechnology. Extremophiles and extreme environments comprise some of the topics researched.
Molecular Biology of Extremophiles Laboratory , This laboratory at the Université Paris-Sud studyies Archaea and hyperthermophilic Bacteria living at temperatures close to 100 degrees C. Their goal is to understand how can these organisms "function" at the limits of life, and to establish whether they originated as a result of primary or secondary adaptation.
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