MARSBUGS: The Electronic Astrobiology Newsletter Volume 6, Number 15, 5 June 1999. Editors: Dr. David Thomas, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, 83844-3051, USA. Marsbugs@aol.com or davidt@uidaho.edu. Dr. Julian Hiscox, Division of Molecular Biology, IAH Compton Laboratory, Berkshire, RG20 7NN, UK. Julian.Hiscox@bbsrc.ac.uk Marsbugs is published on a weekly to quarterly basis as warranted by the number of articles and announcements. Copyright of this compilation exists with the editors, except for specific articles, in which instance copyright exists with the author/authors. While we cannot copyright our mailing list, our readers would appreciate it if others would not send unsolicited e-mail using the Marsbugs mailing list. The editors do not condone "spamming" of our subscribers. Persons who have information that may be of interest to subscribers of Marsbugs should send that information to the editors. E-mail subscriptions are free, and may be obtained by contacting either of the editors. Article contributions are welcome, and should be submitted to either of the two editors. Contributions should include a short biographical statement about the author(s) along with the author(s)' correspondence address. Subscribers are advised to make appropriate inquiries before joining societies, ordering goods etc. Back issues and Adobe Acrobat PDF files suitable for printing may be obtained via anonymous FTP at ftp.uidaho.edu/pub/mmbb/marsbugs or at the official Marsbugs web page at http://members.aol.com/marsbugs/marsbugs.html. The purpose of this newsletter is to provide a channel of information for scientists, educators and other persons interested in exobiology and related fields. This newsletter is not intended to replace peer-reviewed journals, but to supplement them. We, the editors, envision Marsbugs as a medium in which people can informally present ideas for investigation, questions about exobiology, and announcements of upcoming events. Astrobiology is still a relatively young field, and new ideas may come out of the most unexpected places. Subjects may include, but are not limited to: exobiology and astrobiology (life on other planets), the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI), ecopoeisis and terraformation, Earth from space, planetary biology, primordial evolution, space physiology, biological life support systems, and human habitation of space and other planets. ------------------------------------------------------------------ CONTENTS 1) RESEARCHER FIRST TO SUSTAIN LIVE METHANE-PRODUCING MICROORGANISMS UNDER A COMBINATION OF MARS-LIKE CONDITIONS University of Arkansas release 2) SEARCH FOR LIFE ON MARS (AND ELSEWHERE): LESSONS FROM THE EARTH Lecture announcement 3) JPL "THE SPACE PLACE" OPEN HOUSE THIS WEEKEND JPL release 4) INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON PLANETARY IMPACT EVENTS AND THEIR CONSEQUENCES TO THE EARTH Conference announcement ------------------------------------------------------------------ RESEARCHER FIRST TO SUSTAIN LIVE METHANE-PRODUCING MICROORGANISMS UNDER A COMBINATION OF MARS-LIKE CONDITIONS University of Arkansas release 2 June 1999 A University of Arkansas researcher has become the first scientist to grow methane-producing microorganisms under some of the conditions found on Mars. His work may provide clues for finding similar life forms on Mars. Dr. Tim Kral, a University of Arkansas biology professor, and graduate student Curtis Bekkum will present their findings this afternoon (June 2) at the annual meeting of the American Society for Microbiology in Chicago. The researchers created a biological model of what life on Mars might be like based on what is known about the Martian landscape. "There's nothing from Mars for us to work with," Kral said. "So you have to play the game from the standpoint of Earth." Mars appears unfriendly towards most life forms. The planet currently contains no detectable organic matter and has extremely cold surface temperatures. So for his experiment, Kral sought microorganisms that survive in extreme conditions and thrive on inorganic matter. He found the ideal microbes in methanogens, anaerobic microorganisms considered to be some of the most primitive life forms on earth. Methanogens can be found deep in the ocean, in the earth's crust or even in a cow's stomach, all of which are environments that might be considered harsh like Mars' surface. To grow methanogens under some of the conditions found on Mars, Kral and Bekkum used ash from Hawaiian volcanoes--known to share chemical characteristics with Mars' soil. They also used carbon dioxide, hydrogen and water while growing the microbes. The methanogens grew successfully in the Mars soil simulant, obtaining all the macro and trace minerals they needed to survive. The researchers probed deeper into the simulated life on Mars' environment with respect to water. Mars has no liquid water on its surface, but scientists suspect the planet may harbor small amounts of liquid below its surface. To see how methanogens fare with a limited water supply, the researchers varied the water content in the Mars soil simulant. They found that the methanogens grew even with a limited water supply. Kral said [that] researchers could extrapolate research like this to search for life on Mars. "When you're looking for life there--what do you look for?" he said. "If you have an idea of what life might look like, you may form better ideas about where to look." ------------------------------------------------------------------ SEARCH FOR LIFE ON MARS (AND ELSEWHERE): LESSONS FROM THE EARTH Lecture announcement 2 June 1999 By Dr. Kenneth H. Nealson Senior Research Scientist, Jet Propulsion Laboratory Faculty Associate, California Institute of Technology Monday, June 7, 1999 7:30 PM at Griffith Observatory The search for extraterrestrial life will be focused on Mars in the near future, with a robust NASA program for both in situ science and sample return being planned. This program has gathered a lot of momentum from new information about the surface properties of Mars, primarily from the Mars Global Surveyor, but it is also driven by new insights about life on Earth. Recently, life has been discovered in some of the most extreme environments on Earth demonstrating its toughness, tenacity, and metabolic diversity. New insights are developing about the nature of our biosphere and the early origin of life on Earth. These "lessons from the Earth" form the basis for mounting a search for life off the Earth, looking for the basic properties of life and its activities. Dr. Kenneth H. Nealson received his Bachelor of Science in biochemistry, a Ph.D. in microbiology from the University of Chicago, and did three years of post-doctoral work at Harvard University. He worked at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography for 12 years where he became Professor of Oceanography. In 1982, utilizing a Guggenheim Fellowship for Sabbatical leave, Dr. Nealson shifted his area of work to environmental microbiology and biogeochemistry, with a focus on the interactions between microbes and metals. In 1985 he took a position as the Shaw Distinguished Professor of Biology at the University of Wisconsin's Center for Great Lakes Studies, where he continued his studies of metals and microbes for more than 12 years. Dr. Nealson chaired the National Academy of Sciences Task Group to study Issues in Sample Return, and is a member of the Subcommittee for Solar System Exploration. He has published more than 150 papers in reviewed journals, and co-authored two books in environmental microbiology. In 1994 he was elected as a Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology, and in 1996, he received the Distinguished Visiting Researcher Award from the Joint Oceanographic Institution (JOI). Dr. Nealson recently took a new position as senior research scientist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Faculty Associate at California Institute of Technology, where he is establishing the Astrobiology group, with the goal of developing methods for life detection in extreme environments on Earth, and perhaps in samples returned from non-Earth sites. Friends of the Observatory (FOTO) is the non-profit support group for Griffith Observatory. Currently, one of FOTO's primary goals is to support the renovation and expansion of the Observatory, so that it continues to provide the nearly 2 million visitors and 50,000 school children annually with accurate astronomical and scientific information and programs and remains the internationally recognizable icon of Los Angeles. Admission: $2 for FOTO members, $5 for non-members, tickets available at the door (Children under 5 are not admitted.) Griffith Observatory 2800 East Observatory Road Los Angeles, California 90027 USA list@GriffithObs.org http://www.GriffithObs.org Griffith phone: (323) 664-1181 Griffith fax: (323) 663-4323 ------------------------------------------------------------------ JPL "THE SPACE PLACE" OPEN HOUSE THIS WEEKEND JPL release 3 June 1999 With hand-on activities and exhibits, demonstrations and audiovisual presentations, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory's 1999 Open House this weekend will showcase space exploration, studies of Earth and new technologies. The Open House will be presented Saturday, June 5 and Sunday, June 6 from 9 AM to 5 PM both days. Always a popular event, the JPL Open House last year drew some 52,000 people in two days to the 177-acre facility in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains. JPL is NASA's leading center for the robotic exploration of space, and is currently flying or planning missions to Mars, Jupiter and its moon Europa, Saturn, Pluto, comets, asteroids and more. The Laboratory's research also includes studies of Earth and its environment, and searches for the origin of planets, stars and galaxies. This year's event features a special children's area offering space- and science-related activities. A new audiovisual presentation about JPL, "Welcome to Outer Space," will also be shown. JPL is located at 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, off the 210 (Foothill) Freeway at the Berkshire Avenue/Oak Grove Drive exit. Limited parking is available at the JPL main gate on Oak Grove Drive, and a larger parking lot is located on the east side of the Laboratory, accessible from Windsor Avenue from the Arroyo Boulevard exit off the 210 Freeway. Trams will run non-stop between all lots and the Laboratory's main gate. Food, beverages and souvenirs will be available for purchase during the event. For more information about JPL or the Open House, visit the JPL web site at http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. ------------------------------------------------------------------ INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON PLANETARY IMPACT EVENTS AND THEIR CONSEQUENCES TO THE EARTH Conference announcement 3 June 1999 Yamaguchi [Japan], September 27-30, 1999 This symposium has scientific targets to discuss catastrophic events on lunar formation, impact craters, meteorites, meteoritic showers, geological boundaries, space debris, new materials, artificial impacts and life chemical evolution as analyses of space and terrestrial circumstances. More information can be obtained at http://www.sci.yamaguchi- u.ac.jp/geo/PIECE1.html ------------------------------------------------------------------ End Marsbugs Vol. 6, No. 15