Dec 3 2010
From The Space Library
RELEASE: 10-320
NASA-FUNDED RESEARCH DISCOVERS LIFE BUILT WITH TOXIC CHEMICAL
WASHINGTON -- NASA-funded astrobiology research has changed the fundamental knowledge about what comprises all known life on Earth. Researchers conducting tests in the harsh environment of Mono Lake in California have discovered the first known microorganism on Earth able to thrive and reproduce using the toxic chemical arsenic. The microorganism substitutes arsenic for phosphorus in its cell components. "The definition of life has just expanded, said Ed Weiler, NASA's associate administrator for the Science Mission Directorate at the agency's Headquarters in Washington. As we pursue our efforts to seek signs of life in the solar system, we have to think more broadly, more diversely and consider life as we do not know it. This finding of an alternative biochemistry makeup will alter biology textbooks and expand the scope of the search for life beyond Earth. The research is published in this week's edition of Science Express. Carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus and sulfur are the six basic building blocks of all known forms of life on Earth. Phosphorus is part of the chemical backbone of DNA and RNA, the structures that carry genetic instructions for life, and is considered an essential element for all living cells. Phosphorus is a central component of the energy-carrying molecule in all cells (adenosine triphosphate) and also the phospholipids that form all cell membranes. Arsenic, which is chemically similar to phosphorus, is poisonous for most life on Earth. Arsenic disrupts metabolic pathways because chemically it behaves similarly to phosphate. "We know that some microbes can breathe arsenic, but what we've found is a microbe doing something new -- building parts of itself out of arsenic, said Felisa Wolfe-Simon, a NASA astrobiology research fellow in residence at the U.S. Geological Survey in Menlo Park, Calif., and the research team's lead scientist. If something here on Earth can do something so unexpected, what else can life do that we haven't seen yet? The newly discovered microbe, strain GFAJ-1, is a member of a common group of bacteria, the Gammaproteobacteria. In the laboratory, the researchers successfully grew microbes from the lake on a diet that was very lean on phosphorus, but included generous helpings of arsenic. When researchers removed the phosphorus and replaced it with arsenic the microbes continued to grow. Subsequent analyses indicated that the arsenic was being used to produce the building blocks of new GFAJ-1 cells. The key issue the researchers investigated was when the microbe was grown on arsenic did the arsenic actually became incorporated into the organisms' vital biochemical machinery, such as DNA, proteins and the cell membranes. A variety of sophisticated laboratory techniques were used to determine where the arsenic was incorporated. The team chose to explore Mono Lake because of its unusual chemistry, especially its high salinity, high alkalinity, and high levels of arsenic. This chemistry is in part a result of Mono Lake's isolation from its sources of fresh water for 50 years. The results of this study will inform ongoing research in many areas, including the study of Earth's evolution, organic chemistry, biogeochemical cycles, disease mitigation and Earth system research. These findings also will open up new frontiers in microbiology and other areas of research. "The idea of alternative biochemistries for life is common in science fiction, said Carl Pilcher, director of the NASA Astrobiology Institute at the agency's Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, Calif. Until now a life form using arsenic as a building block was only theoretical, but now we know such life exists in Mono Lake. The research team included scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey, Arizona State University in Tempe, Ariz., Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in Livermore, Calif., Duquesne University in Pittsburgh and the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource in Menlo Park. NASA's Astrobiology Program in Washington contributed funding for the research through its Exobiology and Evolutionary Biology program and the NASA Astrobiology Institute. NASA's Astrobiology Program supports research into the origin, evolution, distribution and future of life on Earth.
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RELEASE: 10-084
NASA PARTNERS WITH HAWAII ON SPACE EXPLORATION, SCIENCE
MOFFETT FIELD, Calif. -- NASA and the State of Hawaii agreed Tuesday to collaborate in a variety of activities involving small satellite development, advanced aviation, space exploration, education and science. During a ceremony at the state capitol in Honolulu, NASA's Ames Research Center Director S. Pete Worden and Hawaii Governor Linda Lingle signed a three-year non-reimbursable Space Act Agreement establishing a partnership for space exploration, scientific research and education initiatives in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, known as STEM. "NASA and Hawaii have collaborated in space exploration since the early years of our space program when Apollo astronauts trained for their missions on the lunar-like volcanic terrain on the Big Island of Hawaii, said Worden. With this agreement, we look forward to extending that partnership even further as we continue to explore and expand into space. "The inauguration of a new Space Act Agreement with NASA is an innovative partnership that will leverage Hawaii's unique location, strategic technological assets and capabilities, and international ties throughout the Asia-Pacific region to advance space exploration, next-generation aviation, scientific research and STEM education, said Lingle. "This alliance represents a truly exceptional and timely opportunity for our state that will help diversify our economy by developing the local aerospace industry, as well as expand Hawaii's leadership role in the global space enterprise, Lingle added. We look forward to continuing to collaborate with NASA in realizing the substantial scientific, educational and commercial development opportunities this agreement will afford both our state and our nation. "For nearly 50 years, Hawaii has been at the forefront of pioneering programs in astronomy, planetary geosciences, broadband satellite communications, space-based environmental monitoring, and deep-space surveillance, said Lt. Governor James R. Duke Aiona, Jr., who represents Hawaii as a vice chairman of the national Aerospace States Association. This new agreement builds upon a dynamic partnership with NASA that over the next three years will substantially increase Hawaii's competitive advantages and help to enhance our long-term economic prosperity. NASA maintains a satellite tracking station on the island of Kauai and has a long history of conducting deep space observations from the advanced telescopes on the Hawaiian Islands. It also supports a broad range of educational programs through the Hawaii Space Grant Consortium at the University of Hawaii. NASA's Space Grant national network of 52 consortia in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico includes more than 850 affiliates from universities, colleges, industry, museums, science centers, and state and local agencies supporting and enhancing science and engineering education, research and public outreach efforts for NASA's aeronautics and space projects. The agreement's first annex provides for small satellite development with the University of Hawaii's Hawaii Space Flight Laboratory under a new program called HawaiiSat. The Hawaii Space Flight Laboratory will train engineering and science students to design and build small satellites. Students and professors from the university will be sent to Ames to work with scientists and engineers to design, integrate and manage small satellites. During their training, the visiting students and professors also will work with other small satellite contractors in NASA Research Park, such as Santa Clara University. The overall goal of the collaboration is to develop a Hawaii-based program for small spacecraft missions and a satellite project developed and managed by students. NASA will benefit from the insights provided by the students and their professors toward future NASA missions. HawaiiSat also will enable NASA to help develop the next generation of explorers, engineers and scientists needed for future space exploration. The Space Act Agreement also provides for the addition of future annexes for NASA and Hawaii to collaborate.
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MEDIA ADVISORY: M10-094
NASA HOSTS NEW SPACE TECHNOLOGY INDUSTRY FORUM
WASHINGTON -- NASA's Office of the Chief Technologist will host an industry forum July 13-14 to discuss the agency's proposed new space technology investments and announce three new Centennial Challenges prize competitions. The forum will be held at the University of Maryland Inn and Conference Center, 3501 University Blvd. East, in Adelphi. Reporters may register to attend the forum and participate in a media briefing on Tuesday, July 13, at 10:30 a.m. EDT. During the briefing, NASA officials will discuss the importance of innovation and technology to agency exploration plans, review the planning status of new Space Technology Programs and explain the three new Centennial Challenges. Reporters must be present to participate in the briefing. The first day of the forum and media briefing will be carried live on NASA Television and streamed on the Internet. At the two-day event, speakers will focus on the president's fiscal year 2011 budget request for NASA's new Space Technology Programs. Representatives from industry, academia and the federal government are invited to discuss strategy, development and implementation of NASA's proposed new technology-enabled exploration. During the forum, NASA will update participants on plans for the new Space Technology Programs, solicit feedback, information and relevant ideas, and discuss next steps. For free registration, visit: http://www.regonline.com/industry_forum Registration is limited and closes at 4:30 p.m., Wednesday, July 7.
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