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Astrobiology, the Transcendent Science: the Promise of Astrobiology As an Integrative Approach for Science and Engineering Education and Research James T Staley

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Astrobiology, the Transcendent Science: the Promise of Astrobiology As an Integrative Approach for Science and Engineering Education and Research James T Staley 347 Astrobiology, the transcendent science: the promise of astrobiology as an integrative approach for science and engineering education and research James T Staley Astrobiology is rapidly gaining the worldwide attention of exobiology, a term which, by definition, refers to the scientists, engineers and the public. Astrobiology’s captivation is study of life outside Earth. Excluding Earth and earthl- due to its inherently interesting focus on life, its origins and ings seems inappropriate for at least three reasons. First, it distribution in the Universe. Because of its remarkable breadth as is ironic to disregard Earth, because it is the only place so a scientific field, astrobiology touches on virtually all disciplines in far known in the Universe where life actually exists. the physical, biological and social sciences as well as Second, exobiology implies that there is something very engineering. The multidisciplinary nature and the appeal of its different and strange about creatures from other planetary subject matter make astrobiology ideal for integrating the bodies. Why shouldn’t all living matter in the Universe teaching of science at all levels in educational curricula. The share common properties in the same sense as other rationale for implementing novel educational programs in matter? Third, the study of life on Earth, including its astrobiology is presented along with specific research and evolution and diversity, provides valuable clues and les- educational policy recommendations. sons for the exploration of other worlds that may harbor life. After all, if we cannot understand life, its origins and Addresses its limits on Earth, how can we possibly begin to identify Department of Microbiology, NSF Astrobiology IGERT Program, life and efficiently study it elsewhere? University of Washington, Box 357242, Seattle, WA 98195, USA e-mail: [email protected] The perception of scientists and lay people has changed since NASA introduced the term astrobiology, because Current Opinion in Biotechnology 2003, 14:347–354 it optimistically embraces the study of all life in the Universe, including life on Earth. The introduction of This review comes from a themed issue on the term astrobiology coincided with NASA’s establish- Science policy Edited by Rita R Colwell ment in 1998 of the NASA Astrobiology Institute (NAI), which now encompasses about a dozen universities and 0958-1669/03/$ – see front matter research centers at NASA and elsewhere (http://www.nai. ß 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved. arc.nasa.gov). In the five years since the NAI began as DOI 10.1016/S0958-1669(03)00073-9 a virtual institute, an international effort has linked its astrobiology program to those of several other countries. These include Spain (Centro de Astrobiologia), the United Abbreviations NAI NASA Astrobiology Institute Kingdom (UK Astrobiology Forum and Network), France NASA National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Groupement de Recherche en Exobiologie), Europe NSF National Science Foundation (The European Exo/Astrobiology Network Association) SETI search for extraterrestrial intelligence and Australia (Australian Centre for Astrobiology). Why is astrobiology so appealing? Introduction How is it that astrobiology has captured the curiosity, This article introduces the multidisciplinary field of astro- fascination and admiration of so many? Surely much of its biology, which bridges the gap between the biological and appeal has to do with the great metaphysical questions of physical sciences and engineering. In addition, recom- astrobiology. Where did we come from? How does life mendations are made for astrobiology to serve as an begin and evolve? What is life’s future? Does life occur alternative model for teaching science and engineering elsewhere in the universe? at all levels of education including primary, secondary, undergraduate and graduate students. I am writing this This young and vigorous field holds great expectations article largely based upon the experience that my collea- that these questions can and will be answered. Herein lies gues and I have had in developing a PhD program in the appeal of astrobiology. Not only is the subject matter astrobiology at the University of Washington. of broad interest to virtually all of us, it is basic to our perception of the world in which we live. Furthermore, What a difference a word makes scientists are sanguine about our ability to answer at least For four decades the National Aeronautics and Space some of these questions in the foreseeable future. So, it is Administration (NASA) sponsored a science program on not surprising that the air bristles with excitement and www.current-opinion.com Current Opinion in Biotechnology 2003, 14:347–354 348 Science policy anticipation at astrobiology meetings as scientists report Box 1 Example topic areas in astrobiology. how they are unraveling the mysteries of life, its tenacity, Star birth, death and recycling of elements fragility, distribution and origins. Formation of planetary systems Origin and evolution of life The transcendent nature of astrobiology Search for extraterrestrial biosignatures Astrobiology is remarkable in its extreme breadth and Habitable planets and satellites within and beyond our solar system therefore its potential for multidisciplinary education Earth’s early geosphere, hydrosphere and atmosphere Earth’s early biosphere and research. It touches on virtually all fields of science Mass extinctions and diversity of life and engineering. As a result it is perhaps unique among all Fossil and geochemical evidence of early life disciplines. Astrobiology is unlike, for instance, biology Life in extreme environments which is exclusively centred on the study of all aspects of Planetary protection life on Earth. Astrobiology, by contrast, considers ques- tions that transcend our planetary boundary. When biol- microorganisms are intimately involved in rock weath- ogists ask the question ‘What is life?’ they are constrained ering processes. From an astrobiological perspective, by the range of life forms on Earth. However, when the biological weathering processes leave ‘signatures of life’ astrobiologist asks the same question, all boundaries are such as specific biological compounds or microbial fossils removed. The astrobiologist is no longer confined to life thatcouldbeusedtoidentifylifeonrocksfromother on Earth, but is forced to conjure possibilities beyond the planetary bodies such as Mars. The traditional training of requirements of water and the DNA! RNA! protein geologists and microbiologists does not prepare PhD dogma. Indeed, imagination is the only limitation to the graduates to study these geobiological activities by them- astrobiologist’s thinking, although it is a severe one. To selves; however, in astrobiology, scientists work together test your own imagination, contemplate the question in designing and testing hypotheses and thereby expand- ‘What is life?’ and propose one or two truly alternative ing our understanding of fundamental but poorly studied life styles to that which we know so well. processes. A special multidisciplinary challenge for astrobiology In our astrobiology PhD program at the University of relates to the dating of early events on Earth and provides Washington, we have seen examples of interdisciplinary another example of its transcendent nature. Geologists work that have resulted in unique perspectives. It is working with paleontologists provided us with the noteworthy in this regard that it is not always the faculty Geological Timetable during the last half of the 20th who have made these breakthroughs, but it is often our century. From this effort, much was learned about the PhD students. One example of this is work carried out by past 600 million years of animal and plant evolution. an astronomy student, John Armstrong, and a biology However, little is known about early evolution, that is, student, Llyd Wells, who have worked with an astron- from the Precambrian Eon after Earth’s formation about omy faculty member, Guillermo Gonzalez. They pro- 4.5 billion years ago until 600 million years ago. Our only posed that the Moon, as ‘Earth’sattic’, probably contains hope to uncover this information is through the mutual rocks with microbial fossils and other signatures of life efforts of geologists, micropaleontologists, microbiolo- from Earth that were ejected to the Moon as it drifted gists and phylogeneticists. Fossils alone cannot answer away from Earth after its formation. These fossils would the important questions about the order in which pro- be well preserved, because they have not been exposed cesses such as methanogenesis and sulfate reduction to weathering and tectonic processes on Earth. These occurred, because microbial fossils are too simple. Che- rocks are therefore likely to contain geochemical and mical biomarkers for processes and specific microbial fossil evidence that may tell us much about early Earth groups are needed in conjunction with phylogenetic history [1]. In a second paper, they suggest that, had a analyses. Already astrobiologists from the various disci- major sterilizing impact occurred on Earth following the plines are talking with one another about resolving this evolution of life, rocks subsequently ejected from the issue through multidisciplinary efforts. Moon by an impact event could have been brought back to Earth to re-seed it [2]. These papers are having a So, not only does astrobiology provide genuine appeal to major influence on NASA’s
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