World Summit on Ancient Microscopic Fossils

This past week at UCLA, Bill Schopf, of the IGPP Center for the Study of Evolution and the Origin of Life, convened this summit of 30 expert scientists worldwide in this area. Representing 12 nations, the scientists, many of whom had not met prior to this event, gathered to exchange ideas and learn about the latest cutting edge work, with emphasis on establishment of microfossil biogenicity and the applications of...

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August 4, 2008 / Posted by: Daniella Scalice

Marine Subsurface is a Distinct Microbial Habitat

Researchers from NAI’s Penn State, MBL, and UCLA Teams have completed a study of the subseafloor marine biosphere, which may be one of the largest reservoirs of microbial biomass on Earth, and has recently been the subject of debate in terms of the composition of its microbial inhabitants. Their metagenomic analysis indicates that the subsurface environment is the most unique studied to date, distinct in its microbial make-up from the surface waters. The slowly-metabolizing populations may...

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July 24, 2008 / Posted by: Daniella Scalice

Washington Post Covers Astrobiology

In yesterday’s edition of the Washington Post, writer Marc Kauffman discusses the “…scientific explosion taking place in astrobiology.”

July 21, 2008 / Posted by: Daniella Scalice

New Extrasolar Planetary System May Be Much Like Our Own

Researchers from the NAI’s University of Arizona Team have published a new study in the current issue of Astrophysical Journal Letters of the potential habitability of the extrasolar planetary system OGLE-2006-BLG-109L. The first multiple-planet system ever to be discovered by gravitational microlensing, it has two large planets similar to Jupiter and Saturn. It’s possible that the system harbors other planets, including Earth-like planets, that are beyond the sensitivity...

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July 18, 2008 / Posted by: Daniella Scalice

Moon Samples Found to Contain Water

Using new techniques, scientists from NAI’s Carnegie Institution of Washington Team have discovered for the first time that tiny beads of volcanic glasses collected from two Apollo missions to the Moon contain water. The researchers found that, contrary to previous thought, water was not entirely vaporized in the violent events that formed the Moon. The new study suggests that the water came from the Moon’s interior and was delivered to the surface...

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July 18, 2008 / Posted by: Daniella Scalice

NAI Announces 2008 Director's Discretionary Fund Awards

The NASA Astrobiology Institute is pleased to announce the selection of 18 proposals for support through the 2008 NAI Director’s Discretionary Fund. These awards allocate more than $1.4M toward strategic investments that advance the science of astrobiology, demonstrate impact to NASA’s space flight programs or its broader science activities, and/or contribute to NASA’s role as a federal R&D agency.

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July 17, 2008 / Posted by: Marco Boldt

NAI Scientist Receives Guggenheim Fellowship

James Farquhar from NAI’s Carnegie Institution of Washington Team is a recipient of the prestigious 2008 Guggenheim Fellowship. The John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellowships are extremely competitive and are given to advanced professionals in many fields. Please join NAI in congratulating James!!!

With the support of his Guggenheim Fellowship, James will be taking sabbatical leave to work with Don Canfield (University of Southern Denmark). Farquhar and Canfield will be extending their research on understanding the ways that...

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June 25, 2008 / Posted by: Daniella Scalice