Workshop Objectives
The Mars-2020 mission offers a unique opportunity for the exploration of a single landing site, with the subsequent return to Earth of samples collected at that site. This mission architecture allows geobiologists to probe returned samples for evidence of past Martian life in terrestrial laboratories, using the most advanced capabilities available. Data from the last decade of Mars missions have shown that Mars hosted ancient deep hydrothermal, deep aquifer, shallow diagenetic, impact-processed/induced, and weathering environments.
Here we consider the Mars biosignature search, beginning with these common ancient Martian aqueous environments, to ask the question: What are the specific biosignatures of ancient rock-hosted life?
Via a series of community webinars and a small in-person workshop, we convene a group of scientists curious about these questions in a martian context and experienced in geobiological studies of terrestrial rock-hosted life environments. We draw heavily on the NAI community of researchers as well as experts pioneering new techniques for biosignature detection using advanced laboratory analytical approaches.
Our overarching goals are to
1) articulate the suite of biosignatures produced by paleo rock-hosted life
2) establish which facies types may preserve them
Findings will be presented at the 3rd Mars-2020 landing site workshop February 8-10, 2017 in Pasadena, CA and then published as a report in a peer-reviewed journal.
Here we consider the Mars biosignature search, beginning with these common ancient Martian aqueous environments, to ask the question: What are the specific biosignatures of ancient rock-hosted life?
Via a series of community webinars and a small in-person workshop, we convene a group of scientists curious about these questions in a martian context and experienced in geobiological studies of terrestrial rock-hosted life environments. We draw heavily on the NAI community of researchers as well as experts pioneering new techniques for biosignature detection using advanced laboratory analytical approaches.
Our overarching goals are to
1) articulate the suite of biosignatures produced by paleo rock-hosted life
2) establish which facies types may preserve them
Findings will be presented at the 3rd Mars-2020 landing site workshop February 8-10, 2017 in Pasadena, CA and then published as a report in a peer-reviewed journal.
Community Webinars: Searching for Rock Hosted Life on Mars
Telecon 1: Martian Environments, Facies, and Ages: Evidence for Rock-Hosted Waters
What is the evidence for ancient Mars environmental conditions? What is the likelihood of habitats for rock-hosted life?
December 9, 9am PST // facilitated by Bethany Ehlmann, Paul Niles
Telecon 2: Metabolisms and Niches for Terrestrial Rock-Hosted Life
Where rock-hosted life found on earth today? What are its metabolisms and products?
Week of December 19, morning PST // facilitated by Tullis Onstott, Jeff Marlow
Telecon 3: Paleo-Rock-Hosted Life Biosignature Detection and Characterization
How do we detect signs of paleo (non-extant) rock-hosted life? Where/how do we find evidence for this on Earth?
January 13, morning PST // facilitated by Barbara Sherwood-Lollar, Haley Sapers
Telecon 4: Advanced Instrumentation Techniques for Finding Biosignatures
What are the latest techniques in biosignature detection, including new capabilities expected in the next decades? (e.g. in mass spectrometry, synchrotron-based analyses, nano-SIMS)
Week of January 23, morning PST // Facilitated by Max Coleman, Paul Niles
What is the evidence for ancient Mars environmental conditions? What is the likelihood of habitats for rock-hosted life?
December 9, 9am PST // facilitated by Bethany Ehlmann, Paul Niles
Telecon 2: Metabolisms and Niches for Terrestrial Rock-Hosted Life
Where rock-hosted life found on earth today? What are its metabolisms and products?
Week of December 19, morning PST // facilitated by Tullis Onstott, Jeff Marlow
Telecon 3: Paleo-Rock-Hosted Life Biosignature Detection and Characterization
How do we detect signs of paleo (non-extant) rock-hosted life? Where/how do we find evidence for this on Earth?
January 13, morning PST // facilitated by Barbara Sherwood-Lollar, Haley Sapers
Telecon 4: Advanced Instrumentation Techniques for Finding Biosignatures
What are the latest techniques in biosignature detection, including new capabilities expected in the next decades? (e.g. in mass spectrometry, synchrotron-based analyses, nano-SIMS)
Week of January 23, morning PST // Facilitated by Max Coleman, Paul Niles
In-Person Workshop
On February 6th and 7th, we will meet on the campus of Caltech to discuss key questions raised during the webinars and synthesize findings, creating graphics and text for presentation and publication. Room capacity for approximately 15 additional members of the community to attend this working meeting is available. Please fill out the expression of interest (form here) if you are motivated to join the work. The Organizing Committee will be reviewing and confirming additional attendees. Advanced graduate students whose work directly relates to these topics are encouraged to attend, and there may be travel support to partially offset expenses in cases of need.
Workshop Speakers & Attendees
Confirmed Invited Speakers and Discussion Facilitators:
Jan Amend (USC) Charles Cockell (Edinburgh University) Danny Glavin (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center) Kai Hinrichs (University of Bremen) Magnus Ivarssons (Naturehistoriska Riksmuseet, Sweden) Sean Loyd (University of California-Fullerton) Sarah Stewart Johnson (Georgetown University) Benedicte Menez (Institut Physique du Globe) Maggie Osburn (Northwestern University) Barbara Sherwood-Lollar (Univeristy of Toronto) Greg Slater (McMaster University) Alexis Templeton (University of Colorado) Greg Wanger (JPL) Frances Westall* (Centre National de Rescheres, Orleans) Boswell Wing (University of Colorado) Ed Young (University of California-Los Angeles) (*=participating remotely) |
Confirmed Workshop Attendees:
(Pending) Organizing Committee: Bethany Ehlmann (Caltech) Tullis Onstott (Princeton) Max Coleman (JPL) Jeff Marlow (Harvard) Paul Niles (NASA Johnson Space Center) Haley Sapers (Caltech) |
Contact Bethany Ehlmann ([email protected]) and TC Onstott ([email protected]) for additional information