NAI

NASA: National Aeronautics and Space Administration

nai
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A Simple Bacterium Reveals How Stress Drives Evolution

Scientists design a method demonstrating how transposons — DNA sequences that move positions within a genome — jump from place to place
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Fifth Library of Congress Chair Announced

Lucianne Walkowicz starts her residency on Oct 1, 2017.
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A Bibliometric Analysis of Origins of Life Research

Tracing the course of Origins of Life research through science publications.
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An Earth-like Atmosphere May Not Survive Proxima b’s Orbit

Computer models suggest that the close proximity to the star might not be promising for Proxima Centauri's survivability.

  1. Habitable Worlds 2017: A System Science Workshop

    Image credit: None

    The Nexus for Exoplanet System Science (NExSS), a NASA research coordination network dedicated to the study of planetary habitability, is pleased to announce a five-day conference on “Habitable Worlds 2017: A System Science Workshop” from Nov 13-17, 2017 in Laramie, WY. The field of exoplanets is currently at the cusp of a watershed moment in finding life on other worlds, propelled by the discoveries of habitable zone terrestrial planets in both ground and space-based surveys, and the potential for future telescopes to characterize the atmospheres of some of these rocky planets. Preparing for such a singular moment needs a diverse ...

    Source: [NExSS]

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    Feature Stories
    October 27, 2016 / Posted by: Miki Huynh

  1. The NAI Director's Seminar Series Presents: What We Talk About When We Talk About Earth's Oxygenation

    The NASA Astrobiology Institute (NAI) Director’s Seminar Series presents “What We Talk About When We Talk About Earth’s Oxygenation”

    Presenter: Noah Planavsky, Yale University
    When: October 31, 2016 1PM PDT

    As the possibility of detecting the atmospheric composition of terrestrial exoplanets moves from the realm of science fiction to science we have become increasingly focused on determining what Earth would look like if analyzed remotely over its long history. Beyond just providing a record of Earth’s atmospheric composition, our goal is to determine how biological evolution has shaped surface oxygenation. A better understanding of our own planet’s atmospheric ...

    Source: [NAI Seminars and Workshops]

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    Feature Stories
    October 27, 2016 / Posted by: Miki Huynh

  1. Early Career Scientists Receive Honors

    Two early career scientists who are active in the field of astrobiology have received recognition for their achievements.

    Will Ratcliff makes Popular Science's 2016 Brilliant 10 List. Image source: Georgia Tech Image credit: None
    Will Ratcliff makes Popular Science's 2016 Brilliant 10 List. Image source: Georgia Tech

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    Feature Stories
    October 26, 2016 / Written by: Miki Huynh

  1. Understanding Water-Soluble Organic Compounds in Meteorites

    Amines may provide novel insights about the prebiotic origins of meteoritic amino acids. Credit: Dr. Jose Aponte, NASA/GSFC Image credit: None
    Amines may provide novel insights about the prebiotic origins of meteoritic amino acids. Credit: Dr. Jose Aponte, NASA/GSFC

    A new study investigates aliphatic monoamines extracted from five different carbonaceous chondrite meteorites. These water-soluble organic compounds can act as a record of processes that occurred during the formation of our solar system and inside the asteroid parent body, as well as the chemistry that could have played a role in the origin of life on Earth.

    Researchers found that monoamines were less abundant than amino acids in CR2 chondrites, but more abundant in CM2 and CM1/2 chondrites. The study provides insight into the possible pathways in which monoamines form, and the potential common origins they might share with ...

    Source: [Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta]

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    Research Highlights
    October 21, 2016 / Written by: Aaron Gronstal

  1. "Promiscuous Enzymes" Lead Bacteria Down New Pathways to Survival

    An image of E. coli. "Promiscuous enzymes" fill in for missing enzymes after the bacteria is genetically altered. Source: NIAID/Flickr (Creative Commons) via Science News Image credit: None
    An image of E. coli. "Promiscuous enzymes" fill in for missing enzymes after the bacteria is genetically altered. Source: NIAID/Flickr (Creative Commons) via Science News

    Biologist Shelley Copley, of the University of Colorado, Boulder and the NASA Astrobiology Institute at MIT and Georgia Tech (formerly the University of Montana), was able to watch a microevolutionary process take place among certain strains of E. coli, when her research team deleted the genes necessary for producing important enzymes and observed how generations of the bacteria developed new ways to survive and replicate.

    As Copley explained during her presentation at the 2nd American Society for Microbiology Conference on Experimental Microbial Evolution, the bacteria adapted by turning to “promiscuous enzymes,” enzymes that can switch from their specialty function to ...

    Source: [Science News]

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    Research Highlights
    October 20, 2016 / Written by: Miki Huynh

  1. Scientists in Astrobiology Awarded 2016 MacArthur Genius Grants

    Two scientists from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) who are members of the NASA Astrobiology Program have been honored as 2016 MacArthur Fellows.

    Dianne Newman, Microbiologist

    Dianne Newman, a professor of geobiology and biology at Caltech, focuses on the metabolisms of microbes that live in the absence of oxygen, looking at how they are able to produce energy and thrive in low-oxygen environments. Her research has included ancient bacteria able to use iron in place of water to photosynthesize, providing a possible explanation for the appearance of banded iron formations (BIFs), as well as re-identifying possible reasons for ...

    Source: [MacArthur Foundation]

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    Feature Stories
    October 14, 2016 / Written by: Miki Huynh

  1. Methane Muted: How Did Early Earth Stay Warm?

    An artist’s depiction of an ice-covered planet in a distant solar system resembles what the early Earth might have looked like if a mysterious mix of greenhouse gases had not warmed the climate. Photo credit: European Southern Observatory (ESO) via Wikimedia Common. Image credit: None
    An artist’s depiction of an ice-covered planet in a distant solar system resembles what the early Earth might have looked like if a mysterious mix of greenhouse gases had not warmed the climate. Photo credit: European Southern Observatory (ESO) via Wikimedia Common.

    For at least a billion years of the distant past, planet Earth should have been frozen over but wasn’t. Scientists thought they knew why, but a new modeling study from the Alternative Earths team of the NASA Astrobiology Institute has fired the lead actor in that long-accepted scenario.

    Humans worry about greenhouse gases, but between 1.8 billion and 800 million years ago, microscopic ocean dwellers really needed them. The sun was 10 to 15 percent dimmer than it is today—too weak to warm the planet on its own. Earth required a potent mix of heat-trapping gases to ...

    Source: [University of California, Riverside]

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    Research Highlights
    October 13, 2016 / Written by: Sean Nealon

  1. Luis Campos Begins Tenure as Library of Congress Chair in Astrobiology

    Dr. Luis Campos begins his tenure as the fourth Baruch S. Blumberg NASA/Library of Congress Chair in Astrobiology. Image sources: University of New Mexico/Library of Congress Image credit: None
    Dr. Luis Campos begins his tenure as the fourth Baruch S. Blumberg NASA/Library of Congress Chair in Astrobiology. Image sources: University of New Mexico/Library of Congress

    On October 3, 2016, Luis Campos began his twelve month residency at the Kluge Center as the new Baruch S. Blumberg NASA/Library of Congress Chair in Astrobiology.

    Campos plans to use the collection at the Library to explore the connection between astrobiology and synthetic biology. Synthetic biology seeks to engineer novel forms of life; astrobiology seeks to discover novel forms of life. Both are “fields deeply concerned with developing a comprehensive understanding of the full potential of living systems,” says Campos.

    The appointment announcement from the Library of Congress was released on June 28, 2016.

    Luis Campos will be ...

    Source: [Library of Congress]

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    Feature Stories
    October 11, 2016 / Posted by: Miki Huynh

  1. Scientists Find Earliest Signs of Eukaryotic Shell-Making

    Fossilized eukaryotes dating roughly 809 million years ago show evidence of creating mineral shells. Credit: P. Cohen Image credit: None
    Fossilized eukaryotes dating roughly 809 million years ago show evidence of creating mineral shells. Credit: P. Cohen

    On September 27, 2016, paleobiologist Phoebe Cohen of the NASA Astrobiology Institute team at MIT presented a talk entitled “The First Appearance of Controlled Eukaryotic Biomineralization in the Neoproterozoic Fossil Record” at the Geological Society of America (GSA) Annual Meeting in Denver Colorado.

    She spoke about the discovery of fossilized eukaryotes from the Fifteenmile Group of Yukon, Canada that showed evidence of an early form of biomineralization, when an organism produces minerals to build or harden structures like bone or tissue. The observed exoskeletal shells were made out of calcium phosphate, and Cohen’s team dated the fossils back to around ...

    Source: [Science News]

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    Research Highlights
    October 05, 2016 / Written by: Miki Huynh

  1. The NAI Director's Seminar Series Presents: Bowling with Astrobiologists: A Twisted Path Toward the Origin of DNA

    On October 3, 2016, the NAI Director’s Seminar Series presented Bowling with Astrobiologists: A Twisted Path Toward the Origin of DNA.

    Presenter: Nathaniel Comfort (NASA/Library of Congress Chair in Astrobiology)

    At the beginning, so runs the Zen saying, one sees mountains as mountains, and rivers as rivers. In 2015, it seemed a straightforward task to document the impact of recent developments such as genomics on origin-of-life research. It was to be—and will be—the first part of a book project on the biological, scientific, and cultural history of DNA. But then, a local conference attended by many luminaries ...

    Source: [NAI Seminars and Workshops]

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    Feature Stories
    September 29, 2016 / Posted by: Miki Huynh

  1. The Art of Yellowstone Science

    Image from <i>The Art of Yellowstone Science</i>. Credit: Tom Murphy Image credit: None
    Image from The Art of Yellowstone Science. Credit: Tom Murphy Image from <i>The Art of Yellowstone Science</i>. Credit: Tom Murphy Image credit: None
    Image from The Art of Yellowstone Science. Credit: Tom Murphy

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    Feature Stories
    September 23, 2016 / Posted by: Miki Huynh

  1. Astrobiologia - Uma Ciência Emergente

    Published in August 2016 and authored by Douglas Galante, Evandro Pereira Da Silva, Fabio Rodrigues, Jorge Horvath, and Marcio De Avellar, Astrobiologia – Uma Ciência Emergente provides an introduction to astrobiology in Portuguese. The first issue gathers input from experts in different scientific areas and covers topics including research into the origins of life, the potentially habitable moons of our Solar System, and the discoveries of exoplanets.

    More information and a free download of the first issue of Astrobiologia – Uma Ciência Emergente is available at: http://www.tikinet.com.br/iag/.

    The Research Unit in Astrobiology (NAP-Astrobio) is ...

    Image credit: None

    Source: [University of São Paulo NAP-Astrobio]

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    Feature Stories
    September 19, 2016 / Posted by: Miki Huynh

  1. NASA and the Navajo Nation

    Students and counselors from NASA and the Navajo Nation project’s 2012 Summer Camp at Canyon de Chelly National Monument. Source: NASA Image credit: None
    Students and counselors from NASA and the Navajo Nation project’s 2012 Summer Camp at Canyon de Chelly National Monument. Source: NASA

    The NASA and the Navajo Nation project is a collaboration between NASA, as led by the NASA Astrobiology Institute, and the Navajo Nation, as represented by numerous organizations including the Diné Bi Olta School Board Association, Navajo Technical University, and the Navajo Nation Department of Diné Education. The project was started in 2005, and over the past 12 years two educator guides have been co-developed that bring together cultural and scientific knowledge, as well as workshops for teachers and camps for students.

    A recent article in Indian Country Today details how the project got its start and shares the perspectives ...

    Source: [Indian Country Today]

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    Feature Stories
    September 14, 2016 / Posted by: Miki Huynh

  1. Statement of Intent to Release a Cooperative Agreement Notice for the NASA Astrobiology Institute

    The NASA Science Mission Directorate Planetary Science Division intends to release a Cooperative Agreement Notice (CAN) soliciting team-based proposals for membership in the NASA Astrobiology Institute (NAI) in January 2017. Step-1 proposals will be due around March 15, 2017, and Step-2 proposals will be due in early June 2017.

    The NASA Astrobiology Institute was established in 1998 as an institution of scientific collaboration across disciplines, across organizations, and within and among its participating Teams irrespective of their geographic distribution. A large amount of reference material is available at the Institute’s website, http://nai.nasa.gov, which provides proposers with details ...

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    Feature Stories
    September 12, 2016 / Written by: NASA Science Mission Directorate

  1. Astrobiology Symposium: The Emergence of Life: On the Earth, in the Lab, and Elsewhere

    Image credit: None

    The John W. Kluge Center presents “The Emergence of Life: On the Earth, in the Lab, and Elsewhere,” an astrobiology symposium, on September 15 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

    The emergence of life is among the most compelling questions in astrobiology. This symposium brings together scientists, humanists, and authors to explore what we know about the origins of life, how we came to know it, and what it means. Organized around the spaces in which we explore the origins of life—in terrestrial nature, in the laboratory, and on other planets—participants will each discuss ...

    Source: [Library of Congress]

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    Feature Stories
    September 12, 2016 / Written by: Library of Congress
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