Lewis and Clark Fund for Exploration and Field Research in Astrobiology 2013 Selections
The NAI is pleased to announce selections for the 2013 Lewis and Clark Fund for Exploration and Field Research in Astrobiology.
Elena Amador, University of Washington
Examining the microbial habitability and diversity of four lava fields in Iceland, “Revealing the Habitability and Microbial Diversity of Icelandic Lava Fields: An Interdisciplinary Approach”.
Morgan Cable, California Institute of Technology
Characterizing biodiversity and habitability of four Icelandic lava fields, “Biodiversity and Habitability in Icelandic Lava Fields”.
Yadira Ibarra, University of Southern California
Petrographic and geochemical examination of microbialite samples, “Paleoenvironmental Significance of Microbialites From the Upper Triassic, Southwest United Kingdom, and Relevance to the End of the Triassic Mass Extinction”.
Ryan Lynch, University of Colorado
Obtaining samples for a culture-independent metagenomic study and deployment of a solar powered array of environmental sensors, “Understanding the Traits of Chemosynthetic Bacteria From a Martian Analog in the High-Elevation Atacama Region”.
Muammar Mansor, Pennsylvania State University
Collection of biofilms and biominerals in the Frassasi Caves, “Detecting Biosignatures From Biominerals Formed in Subsurface Caves: Analogue to Mars”.
Edward Schwieterman, University of Washington
Sampling and in-field analysis via fluorescence microscopy, PCR analysis bioluminescence and environmental measurements, “Assessing the Habitability, Diversity, and Productivity of Mars Analog Environments in Iceland”.
Christine Solon, University of California-Riverside
Collection and morphometric analysis of Rugoconite specimens in the Flinders Ranges, “Morphology and Ecology of an Enigmatic Ediacaran Taxon”.
Sanjoy Som, Blue Marble Institute of Science
Assessment of variations in continental H2 abundance in hydrothermal springs, “Hydrogen Production in Basalt-Hosted Hydrothermal Systems”.
Kristin Woycheese, University of Illinois-Chicago
Investigating the biogeochemistry of a serpentinizing fluid seep, “Biogeochemistry and Depositional Facies of a Serpentinizing Fluid Seep in the Zambales Range Ophiolites, the Philippines”.
Additional information about the Lewis and Clark Fund can be found at http://astrobiology2.arc.nasa.gov/nai/funding/lewis-and-clark/
