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Exposing E. Coli
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| Topic: Extreme Life |
11/27/05 |
| Summary: Using Petri dishes full of genetically engineered E. coli instead of photo paper, students at The University of Texas at Austin and UCSF successfully created the first-ever bacterial photographs. Their work is published in this week's issue of Nature (Nov. 24, 2005), which is devoted entirely to the emerging field of synthetic biology. |
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The Mothman Adventures
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| Topic: Extreme Life |
11/21/05 |
| Summary: Astrobiologists often have compelling adventures in far-flung locations. Charles Cockell, professor and chair of microbiology at the Open University in the UK, recounts an unusual expedition collecting moths in Indonesia. |
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Lichen Cosmonauts?
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| Topic: Extreme Life |
11/12/05 |
| Summary: One of the main focuses in the search for living organisms on other planets and the possibilities for transfer of life between planets currently centres on bacteria, due to the organism's simplicity and the possibility of it surviving an interplanetary journey exposed to the harsh space environment. This focus may develop to encompass more advanced organisms following the results of an ESA experiment on the recent Foton-M2 mission where it was discovered that lichens are very adept at surviving in open space. |
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The Art of War - Anemone Style
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| Topic: Extreme Life |
08/26/05 |
| Summary: Clashing colonies of sea anemones fight as organized armies with distinct castes of warriors, scouts, reproductives and other types, according to a new study. |
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Bigger Isn't Always Better
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| Topic: Extreme Life |
08/24/05 |
| Summary: Researchers at Oregon State University and Diversa Corporation have discovered that the smallest free-living cell known has the smallest genome, or genetic structure of any independent cell-and it dominates life in the oceans, where most cells die, and plays a huge role in the cycling of carbon on Earth. |
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Proof of Life?
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| Topic: Extreme Life |
08/22/05 |
| Summary: Pamela Conrad, an astrobiologist with NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, has traveled to the ends of the Earth to study life. On June 16, 2005, Conrad gave a lecture entitled, "A Bipolar Year: What We Can Learn About Looking for Life on Other Planets by Working in Cold Deserts." In part 2 of this edited transcript, Conrad describes how her work in cold deserts could aid the search for alien life. |
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The Ends of the Earth
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| Topic: Extreme Life |
08/18/05 |
| Summary: On June 16, 2005, Pamela Conrad gave a lecture entitled, "A Bipolar Year: What We Can Learn About Looking for Life on Other Planets by Working in Cold Deserts." In part 1 of this edited transcript, Conrad describes what sort of signs we could look for to see if there is life in an alien environment. |
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Cryptobiotic Cyanobacteria
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| Topic: Extreme Life |
08/10/05 |
| Summary: An experiment in a dry Antarctic stream channel has shown that a carpet of freeze-dried microbes that lay dormant for two decades sprang to life one day after water was diverted into it, said a University of Colorado at Boulder researcher. |
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NUGGET's Neutron Vision
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| Topic: Extreme Life |
07/29/05 |
| Summary: Astrobiologists, who search for evidence of life on other planets, may find a proposed Neutron/Gamma ray Geologic Tomography (NUGGET) instrument to be one of the most useful tools in their toolbelt. |
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Building an Extreme House on Skis
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| Topic: Extreme Life |
07/26/05 |
| Summary: A futuristic house has won the competition for the new British Antarctic Survey (BAS) Halley Research Station. The new modular station, elevated on ski-based jackable legs to avoid burial by snow, can be towed across the ice. |
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