An examination of the carbon isotope effects associated with amino acid biosynthesis

Stable carbon isotope ratios (delta(13)C) were determined for alanine, proline, phenylalanine, valine, leucine, isoleucine, aspartate (aspartic acid and asparagine), glutamate (glutamic acid and glutamine), lysine, serine, glycine, and threonine from metabolically diverse microorganisms. The microorganisms examined included fermenting bacteria, organotrophic, chemolithotrophic, phototrophic, methylotrophic, methanogenic, acetogenic, acetotrophic, and naturally occurring cryptoendolithic communities from the Dry Valleys of Antarctica. Here we demonstrated that reactions involved in amino acid biosynthesis can be used to distinguish amino acids formed by life from those formed by nonbiological processes. The unique patterns of delta(13)C imprinted by life on amino acids produced a biological bias. We also showed that, by applying discriminant function analysis to the delta(13)C value of a pool of amino acids formed by biological activity, it was possible to identify key aspects of intermediary carbon metabolism in the microbial world. In fact, microorganisms examined in this study could be placed within one of three metabolic groups: (1) heterotrophs that grow by oxidizing compounds containing three or more carbon-to-carbon bonds (fermenters and organotrophs), (2) autotrophs that grow by taking up carbon dioxide (chemolitotrophs and phototrophs), and (3) acetoclastic microbes that grow by assimilation of formaldehyde or acetate (methylotrophs, methanogens, acetogens, and acetotrophs). Furthermore, we demonstrated that cryptoendolithic communities from Antarctica grouped most closely with the autotrophs, which indicates that the dominant metabolic pathways in these communities are likely those utilized for CO(2 )fixation. We propose that this technique can be used to determine the dominant metabolic types in a community and reveal the overall flow of carbon in a complex ecosystem.     

Extremophiles may be irrelevant to the origin of life

In recent years, Bacteria and Archaea have been discovered living in practically every conceivable terrestrial environment, including some previously thought to be too extreme for survival. Exploration of our solar system has revealed a number of extraterrestrial bodies that harbor environments analogous to many of the terrestrial environments in which extremophiles flourish. The recent discovery of more than 105 extrasolar planets suggests that planetary systems are quite common. These three findings have led some to speculate that life is therefore common in the universe, as life as we know it can seemingly survive almost anywhere there is liquid water. It is suggested here that while environments capable of supporting life may be common, this does not in itself support the notion that life is common in the universe. Given that interplanetary transfer of life may be unlikely, the actual origin of life may require specific environmental and geological conditions that may be much less common than the mere existence of liquid water.     

A concept for NASA's Mars 2016 astrobiology field laboratory

The Mars Program Plan includes an integrated and coordinated set of future candidate missions and investigations that meet fundamental science objectives of NASA and the Mars Exploration Program (MEP). At the time this paper was written, these possible future missions are planned in a manner consistent with a projected budget profile for the Mars Program in the next decade (2007-2016). As with all future missions, the funding profile depends on a number of factors that include the exact cost of each mission as well as potential changes to the overall NASA budget. In the current version of the Mars Program Plan, the Astrobiology Field Laboratory (AFL) exists as a candidate project to determine whether there were (or are) habitable zones and life, and how the development of these zones may be related to the overall evolution of the planet. The AFL concept is a surface exploration mission equipped with a major in situ laboratory capable of making significant advancements toward the Mars Program's life-related scientific goals and the overarching Vision for Space Exploration. We have developed several concepts for the AFL that fit within known budget and engineering constraints projected for the 2016 and 2018 Mars mission launch opportunities. The AFL mission architecture proposed here assumes maximum heritage from the 2009 Mars Science Laboratory (MSL). Candidate payload elements for this concept were identified from a set of recommendations put forth by the Astrobiology Field Laboratory Science Steering Group (AFL SSG) in 2004, for the express purpose of identifying overall rover mass and power requirements for such a mission. The conceptual payload includes a Precision Sample Handling and Processing System that would replace and augment the functionality and capabilities provided by the Sample Acquisition Sample Processing and Handling system that is currently part of the 2009 MSL platform.     

The reactions of nitrogen heterocycles with acrolein: scope and prebiotic significance

It has been suggested that life began with a self-replicating RNA molecule. However, after much research into the prebiotic synthesis of RNA, the difficulties encountered have lead some to hypothesize that RNA was preceded by a simpler molecule, one more easily synthesized prebiotically. Many of the proposed alternative molecules are based on acrolein, since it reacts readily with nucleophiles, such as the nucleobases, via Michael addition and is readily synthesized from formaldehyde and acetaldehyde. Reports regarding the reactions of nucleobases with concentrated acrolein solutions suggest that this is a plausible reaction mechanism, though there are also reports that the "incorrect" isomers are obtained. The scope and kinetics of the reaction of acrolein with various nitrogen heterocycles are reported here. Reactions of pyrimidines often give N(1) adducts as the major products. Reactions of purines often give N(9) adducts in good yield. The reactions are rapid under neutral to slightly alkaline conditions, and proceed at low temperatures and dilutions. The implications of these findings for the origin of life are discussed.     

CONSERVATIVE FRONT TRACKING IN HIGHER SPACE DIMENSIONS

INTRODUCTIONWe propose and demonstrate a tracking fi-nite difference algorithm which is( a) fully con-servative and ( b) improves local truncation errorby one order( from O( 1 ) to O( Δx) near trackeddiscontinuities.Discontinuities in the solutions of systems ofnonlinear hyperbolic conservation laws are widelyrecognized as a primary difficulty for numericalsimulation.Surprisingly,the nonlinearities actu-ally help,as they cause information,which flowsalong solution characteristics,to flow…     

Electrical Charging of Volcanic Plumes

Many explosive terrestrial volcanic eruptions are accompanied by lightning and other atmospheric electrical phenomena. The plumes produced generate large perturbations in the surface atmospheric electric potential gradient and high charge densities have been measured on falling volcanic ash particles. The complex nature of volcanic plumes (which contain gases, solid particles, and liquid drops) provides several possible charging mechanisms. For plumes rich in solid silicate particles, fractoemission (the ejection of ions and atomic particles during fracture events) is probably the dominant source of charge generation. In other plumes, such as those created when lava enters the sea, different mechanisms, such as boiling, may be important. Further charging mechanisms may also subsequently operate, downwind of the vent. Other solar system bodies also show evidence for volcanism, with activity ongoing on Io. Consequently, volcanic electrification under different planetary scenarios (on Venus, Mars, Io, Moon, Enceladus, Tethys, Dione and Triton) is also discussed.     

Impacts of solar and auroral storms on power line systems

A sensitive search for pulsars inside a sample of gamma-ray source error boxes has been carried out using the Arecibo and Parkes radiotelescopes. The paper describes the motivation of this search and the characteristics of the experiments used. As a preliminary result, new pulsars have been discovered and some of them are possibly candidates to be the counterparts of the gamma-ray sources.     

Electronics brain design for advanced microspacecraft

A brief history of NASA robotic spacecraft computing architectures is given. Changing needs driving changes in features (10x reduction in cost, various increases in capability, 10x to 100x reduction in power, mass and volume) for spacecraft computing are discussed. An architecture which addresses these changes is proposed. Finally, future directions of exploration for this spacecraft computing architecture are considered.     

Developments in balloon stress analysis

The use of large plastic balloons as a research tool has increased dramatically since the developmental work of the early 1950's. The continuing demand by the scientific community for higher float altitudes, heavier payloads, and longer flight durations has severely challenged current design and analysis procedures. Previous simplifying assumptions concerning the balloon shape and stress must be reassessed in order to develop better analytical design and stress analysis procedures. A brief history of balloon stress analysis procedures and accompanying assumptions are presented. The limitations of old methods and recent improvements by Smalley, Alexander, Rand, and others are examined and compared. Finite difference and finite element techniques offer promise for more accuracy with fewer over-simplifying assumptions. Available methods are examined for potential use in various stress analysis requirements.     

Evolution of executive branch space policy making

This paper assesses the impacts that changes in the US presidency have had on the civilian space program during the post-Apollo period. It suggests that the White House has lost influence over space issues relative to other interested sectors. The primary factors causing this are a long-term shift to lower priority for these issues, and an inevitable widening of the scope of influence over this sector of activity. Key post-Apollo decisions are discussed for their substantive content and also for what they reveal about the extent to which the president chose to be involved. These findings have implications across all science and technology issue areas as the USA, in the aftermath of the Cold War, reexamines its post-World War II social contract with science.