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 About the CIW Team of the NASA Astrobiology Institute
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Although Carnegie officially began research into astrobiology in 1996, the foundation for this work was laid much earlier. Fifty years ago Philip Abelson, former director of the Geophysical Lab and trustee, extracted amino acids from fossil clamshells, thus blending the fields of geology, biology, and chemistry. Work in biophysicsthe combination of biology and physicswas conducted at the Department of Terrestrial Magnetism after World War II. These are examples of a tradition at Carnegie in which problems are approached from a variety of perspectives. It is this tradition that makes the institution a natural choice for studies in astrobiology. Today, a multidisciplinary group from the Department of Terrestrial Magnetism and the Geophysical Lab is attacking one piece of the astrobiology puzzlehydrothermal systems.
Recent expeditions have shown that areas surrounding deep oceanic hydrothermal vents are rich in life. A variety of organisms live in this environment under extreme pressure and without light or oxygeningredients that were once believed to be necessary for anything living. Hydrothermal activitywhere water is subjected to high temperatures and pressureshas either been identified on or is expected on a variety of solar system objects including planets, large satellites, and the parent bodies of meteorites.
Carnegie scientists are looking at the physical, chemical, and biological aspects of hydrothermal systems as they pertain to Earth and other bodies. The core effort is to analyze organic chemical synthesis in water-rock systems under extreme temperatures and pressures. Investigators will look at geochemical processes, particularly at how minerals act as catalysts for organic synthesis; develop theoretical models showing how hydrothermal systems form on moons and planets; design technical devices to study the extreme environments; and participate in field studies to sample and preserve microorganisms from these systems on Earth.
Carnegies work on hydrothermal systems complements other studies at the institution that contribute to astrobiology. Such research includes understanding the distribution of water and other volatiles in the solar system, determining isotopic signatures that indicate life, and searching for extrasolar planets.
The institutions role in astrobiology goes beyond the science itself. Staff members are in the process of introducing themes from astrobiology in the science education programs at the Carnegie Academy for Science Education (CASE) and the First Light science school. As research in astrobiology progresses, public elementary school teachers in Washington, D.C., across the country, and around the globe will participate in this intriguing and multifaceted subject. The CASE and First Light staff has developed a Web site http://www.carnegieinstitution.org/first_light_case/default.html, educational packets, and other materials that are available for teachers and students to use to explore this imagination-provoking science. |
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Shuttle Endeavour blazes into the night sky.
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