Scientist |
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Specialty |
Research Area |
Dale Andersen
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Survival at the Ends of the Earth (and other places) – Life in Extreme Environments
Some of Earth's most inhospitable places offer scientists opportunities to study life's survival strategies. Anderson's research takes him to the world's northernmost lakes and springs located in the high Arctic; the ancient permafrost of Siberia; perennially ice-covered lakes of Antarctica's McMurdo Dry Valleys and Bunger Hills; the depths of the polar oceans; and the worlds driest desert, the Atacama .
Scientific papers published |
Biology |
Mars analogue
Extremeophiles |
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Janice Bishop
(NAI Team Member)
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Rust!
Iron oxides impart gives the Red Planet its characteristic hue -- and so much more. Many chemical alterations of pure minerals associated with life, such as iron oxide, require water. Identifying materials on Earth that have undergone such changes may help us identify environments on Mars that may have been supportive of life.
Scientific papers published |
Chemistry
Spectroscopy |
Mars chemistry
Origins
Evolution |
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Nathalie Cabrol
(NAI Team Member)
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Edmond Grin (NAI Team Member)
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Ancient Lakes on Mars/ Licancabur
When the Mars Rover, Spirit touched down in Gusev Crater, Drs. Cabrol and Grin witnessed a long-held dream come true. Prior to the landing, the pair were primary advocates of the landing site. Cabrol is also one of two women chosen for the science team. The pair up an annual Mars-analog research expedition to the world's highest elevation lake at the summit of a volcano in the Chilean/Bolivian Andes, Licancabur . The SETI Institute web site contains several links to features describing the work of these two planetary geologists.
Scientific papers published (Cabrol)
Scientific papers published (Grin) |
Planetary geology
Robotic ield geology |
Mars geology
Mars analogues |
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Brad Dalton
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Above the Red Planet – Remote Sensing of Minerals and Potential Biomarkers
Remote sensing may be able to tell us about the minerals on the surface of Mars and provide clues to the evolution of the red planet's climate. Comparing the spectra of microbes living in the harsh environment of terrestrial salt ponds to spectrographic data from Mars and Europa may reveal the potential presence of life on these and other worlds. |
Astrogeophysics |
Climate modeling
Biomarkers |
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Virginia C. Gulick
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Flow : The Influence of Water on Martian Geology
Did ancient rivers flow on Mars? What were the processes that shaped the channels and valleys of Mars. Gulick's research explores the mechanism and distribution of the highly reactive oxidants on the martian surface. How will Mars dust effect space suits and equipment used during Mars missions? What role does temperature play? How is distribution effected by atmosphere?
Scientific papers published |
Geology |
Mars hydrology
Mars geology |
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Pascal Lee
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Mars on Earth: Research at Haughton Crater, Devon Island
What can field studies of an ancient impact crater on an island above the Arctic Circle tell us about Mars and future missions to Mars? Dr. Lee's NASA Haughton-Mars Project is an ongoing, ambitious multi-disciplined endeavor that is providing insights into possible environments for life on Mars, and will help guide future human exploration of the Red Planet. The SETI Institute web site contains several features and links describing the work of Dr. Lee.
Scientific papers published |
Planetary science |
Mars analogue
Extremeophiles |
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Rocco Mancinelli
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(NAI Team Member)
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Against the Odds – Surviving Space
Future missions to Mars will bring home bits and pieces of our planetary neighbor. How can we handle Martian samples safely? Developing a Mars sample handling testbed facility will help us develop protocol and methods for handling the exotic samples. Mancinelli studies salt-loving and UV resistant microbes in the lab--including those flown in space-- and in the field to learn about the survival, adaptation, and biological evolution of life beyond our home planet.
Scientific papers published |
Biology |
Extremeophiles |
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Roseli Ocampo - Friedmann |
Harsh as Mars : Life's Survival Strategies in the Desert
How does life survive the heat, desiccation and radiation of the Atacama Desert ? Is there a relationship between resistance to radiation and resistance to drying? How is carbon cycled through an improbable food chain in the most extreme areas of the Atacama where even the ever-present cyanobacteria cannot survive? Studies of the biological and biogeochemical processes at work in this environment will provide insights into the possibilities for Mars. |
Biology
Biogeochemisty |
Extremeophiles |
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Margaret Race
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All Planets all the Time! – Planetary Protection and Mars Exploration
A cosmic scavenger hunt is in the works, and future roundtrip missions to Mars and elsewhere in the solar system will bring home samples for study in terrestrial laboratories. How can scientists ensure that we do not introduce harmful material into Earth's environment? Conversely, how can we ensure that other potential abodes of life in our solar system are kept free of hitch-hiking terrestrial “invader” species? Planetary protection focuses on preventing harmful cross contamination during exploration and involves scientists, ethicists, and policy makers.
Scientific papers published |
Ecology |
Planetary Protection |
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Todd B. Sauke
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Building a Better Spectroscope : Mars Surface Analysis
Missions to Mars challenge scientists to devise ever smaller and lighter, yet ever more capable and robust instruments for the experiments performed on the red planet. How to build a better spectrometer is the focus of Sauke's research.
Scientific papers published |
Physics |
Instrumentation |
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David Summers
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(NAI Team Member)
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Why Mars Went Bad –Laboratory Simulations of Martian Chemistry
There are limits to what we can learn from Mars-like sites on Earth, thus scientists create “mini” Mars in their labs for studies of the Red Planet's surface chemistry. Summers' lab simulations of today's “cold and dry” Mars, and ancient “wet and warm” Mars may help us understand how an Earth-like planet “goes bad.”
Scientific papers published |
Biochemistry |
Mars chemistry |
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