Introduction of the Research Groups and Collaborators of the RAC. Ongoing Research Initiatives and Possible International Collaboration.

2. Origin and Early Evolution of Planetary Atmospheres (Chairs: Pavlov A.A., Kasting J.F)

Comparative studies of the evolutionary paths of the terrestrial planetary atmospheres. How unique is the Earth’s atmospheric composition? Was it constant in the chemical composition over the Earth’s history? Was Mars ever wet? Was Venus ever cool and had an ocean?

The search for life beyond the solar system Jonathan I. Lunine, Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, The University of Arizona, Tucson AZ USA

Ocean chemistry and climate of the early Earth. Prof. Dr. Siegfried Franck,  Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research

Physical Evolution of the Biosphere Vladimir F. Levchenko I.M.Sechenov Institute of Evolutionary Physiology and Biochemistry. Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg

The possibility and effectiveness of the life transfer processes in the galaxy and Solar system and estimation of the effective distance of the life transfer by different “space carriers.”

Habitable Zones and the Number of Habitable Planets in the Milky Way Siegfried Franck, Werner von Bloh, Christine Bounama, Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK)

Detection of extraterrestrial life: problems and perspectives Dr. Alexandre Tsapin, Jet Propulsion laboratory/ California Institute of Technology Pasadena

Possible Martian origin of the terrestrial radioresistant microorganisms. A.K.Pavlov (Ioffe Physico-Technical Institute RAS), V.L.Kalinin, A.N.Konstantinov, V.N.Shelegedin  (St. Petersburg Technical State University), Russia

Bacterial paleontology for astrobiology A.Yu.Rozanov, E.A.Zhegallo, G.T.Ushatinskaya, (Paleontologocal Institute RAS), R.Hoover (Marshall Space Flight Center, NASA)

The Embryoshere Hypothesis Vladimir F. Levchenko, I.M.Sechenov Institute of Evolutionary Physiology and Biochemistry. Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg

Galilean Satellites as Sites for Incipient Life and the Earth as Its Shelter E.M.Drobyshevski, Ioffe Physico-Technical Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences

Non-equilibrium processes of organic substances' synthesis in interstellar gas-dust clouds. V.A.Otroshchenko, A.N. Bach Institute of Biochemistry RAS, Moscow, V.A.Alekseev, Troitsk Institute for Innovation and Termonuclear Investigation, Troitsk, Moscow region, V.K.Ryabchuk, Institute of Physics of S.-P. State University, Saint-Petersburg

Ancient biosphere of space objects as a possible source of origin of life on Earth

Zhmur S.I., Institute of the Lithosphere of Marginal Seas, PAS,  Moscow, Russia

Scientific, educational and cultural exchange between the Russian Astrobiology Center, the NASA Astrobiology Institute, the Center for Astrobiology in Madrid, Spain and the Australian Center for Astrobiology.

Discussion of the fieldtrip to the Baltic shield scheduled for June 2002. Rock exposures to be investigated include critical samples overlapping in time with the Great Oxidation Event on Earth ca. 2.3 Ga: reduced paleosols, glacial diamictite, 2.48-2.45 Ga mantle plume event, highly mature quatzites atop of glacials, oxidized paleosols, carbonates with high carbon isotope values, organic-rich shales - shungites, evidence for mantle plume at 2.22 and 2.1 Ga (the last one leading to supercontinent Kenorland breakup).

Transition of the terrestrial atmosphere from anoxic to oxic via non-mass-dependent sulfur isotopes signals from in-situ measurements of precambrian (1.8 – 3.84 Ga) sedimentary sulfides. S. J. Mojzsis, Department of Geological Sciences, University of Colorado, Boulder, USA 

Shungite rocks of Karelia as a model of carbon hondrites formation. Zhmur S.I., Institute of the Lithosphere of Marginal Seas, RAS,  Moscow, Russia

Volatile components in Karelian shungites as indicators of composition of Protherozoic atmosphere K.I. Lokhov  (Center of Isotopic Research VSEGEI (CIR VSEGEI), Ministry of Natural Resources of Russia, St.Petersburg, Russia), L.K. Levsky (Institute of Precambrian Geology and Geochronology RAS (IPGG RAS), St.Petersburg, Russia), F. Begemann (Max-Plank Institute fur Chemie (MPI), Mainz, Germany) 

We will discuss survivalability of life in the extremely cold, extremely hot environments. We also will address the topic of life adaptation to the extreme radiation fluxes. This session will be used as a sounding board for proposals to visit extreme habitats for life in e.g. Kamchatka, Russian Far East.

Perennial Antarctic Ice: Oases for Life in a Polar Desert and models for other icy worlds. Professor John C. Priscu, Department of Land Resources and Environmental Sciences, Montana State University at Bozeman

Cryobiosphere: permafrost model of extraterestrial microbial habitat. David A. Gilichinsky Soil Cryology Laboratory, Institute of Physico-Chemical & Biological Problems in Soil Science, Russian Academy of Sciences, RUSSIA

Active life in permafrost. E. Rivkina (1), K. Laurinavichius (2), D. Gilichinsky (1), V. Shcherbakova (2): (1) Institute for Physicochemical and Biological Problems in Soil Science, (2) Institute of Biochemistry and Physiology of Microorganisms, Russian Academy of Sciences, RUSSIA

Microorganisms into overcooled brines within permafrost: probably model of martian communities. K. Laurinavichius (1), V. Shcherbakova (1), E. Rivkina (2), D. Gilichinsky (2), A. Tsapin (3), K. Nealson (3): (1) Institute of Biochemistry and Physiology of Microorganisms, (2) Institute for Physicochemical and Biological Problems in Soil Science. Russian Academy of Sciences, RUSSIA, (3) JPL, NASA, USA

Life at extremely low humidity. Aksyonov S.I., Biology Department, M.V.Lomonosov Moscow State University

Permafrost: Extreme or not extreme? E.A.Vorobyova

Cells Differentiation and its Role in Natural Environments. V.S.Soina

Metabolic and phylogenetic diversity of anaerobic thermophilic litortophic prokaryotes. E.A.Bonch-Osmolovskaya, M.L.Miroshnichenko, D.G.Zavarzina, A.I.Slobodkin, T.N.Nazina, N.V.Pimenov, Institute of Microbiology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia

Molecular approaches to the investigation of extremophilic microbial communities. N.A.Chernyh, A.V.Lebedinskii, E.A.Bonch-Osmolovskaya. Institute of Microbiology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia

Anaerobic co-oxidizing, H₂-producing prokaryotes from volcanic habitats T.G.Sokolova,^*1 J. González,² N.A. Kostrikina,¹ N.A.Chernyh,¹ T.P.Tourova,¹  E.A. Bonch-Osmolovskaya,¹ and F. Robb.^{2 1} Institute of Microbiology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Prospect 60 Let Oktyabrya, 7/2, 117811, Moscow, Russia. ² COMB, Columbus Center, 701 E Pratt St., Baltimore MD 21202, USA

Extreme uv radiation protection by iron in aquatic media: biological implications in planetary enviroments. C. Córdoba-Jabonero (1, *) and L. Vázquez (1, 2). (1) Centro de Astrobiología CAB (CSIC-INTA), Torrejón de Ardoz, 28850-Madrid (Spain), (2) Dpto. Matemática Aplicada, Facultad de Informática, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040-Madrid (Spain). (*) e-mail: cordobajc@inta.es

We will discuss the possibility of the formation of biological important substances at the terrestrial orbit. The main question to be focused on in this context is revealing of different cosmic enegry impacts and various mineral associates role in the processes of degradation and synthesis.

Exobiological investigations onboard MIR space station. E. A. Kuzicheva, and N. B. Gontareva. Institute of Cytology, Laboratory of Exobiology, Tikhoretsky pr. 4, 194064, StPetersburg, Russia

Molecular synthesis in recombinating impact plasma. G.G. Managadze, Institute of Space Research  Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow

A possible approach to seach the microorganisms in frozen extraterrestrial ground. Elena V. Spirina^{1, 2}, James R. Cole^{1, 3}, Benli Chai^{1, 3}, David A. Gilichinsky², James M. Tiedje¹ . ¹ Center for Microbial Ecology, Michigan State University, USA, ² Institute of Physical-Chemical and Biological problems of Soil Science, Russian Academy of Sciences, RUSSIA, ³ Ribosomal Database Project – II, Michigan State University, USA

Biopan-4 project: “The influence of space environment on the viability of the ancient viable permafrost microbial communities” A. Kholodov (1), K. Novototskaya, (2), D. Gilichinsky (1), E. Willerslev (3), A. Hansen (3). (1) Institute for Physicochemical and Biological Problems in Soil Science, Russian Academy of Sciences, RUSSIA, (2) Faculty of Soil Science, Moscow State University, RUSSIA, (3) Zoological Institute, University of Copenhagen, DENMARK

The changes in biological systems producing by solar cycles, volcanic eruptions as well as after catastrophic events (like Tunguska event) will be discussed. We will focus our attention to the changes on the secular and millennial time scale.

Tunguska Class Impacts: Frequency, Physical Nature, and Relation to the Impact Hazard. David Morrison, NASA Astrobiology Institute

Biological Recovery at the Site of Impact Craters – Effects of Scaling Cockell C.S., British Antarctic Survey, Madingley Road, Cambridge. CB3 0ET. UK. Tel : + 44 1223 221560. e-mail : csco@bas.ac.uk

Kamchatka mires as natural archives of the holocene volcanic impact. N.E. Zaretskaia, O.N. Uspenskaia*, V.V. Ponomareva**. Geological Institute of RAS, Moscow, Russia, *“Torfgeologia” Central Expedition, Moscow, Russia, ** Institute of Volcanic Geology and Geochemistry, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy, Russia

“Star kneading life” project. Yu.N.Gnedin,Yu.A.Nagovitsyn, E.Yu.Nagovitsyna, E.V.Miletskij. Central astronomical observatory at Pulkovo of RAS

Effects and mechanisms in the action of extremely low frequency EMF on biological processes. Aksyonov S.I., Bulychev A.A., Grunina T.Yu., Goryachev S.N. Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University

a) The mystery of Tunguska event, newly identified point of impact and anomalous features in flora evolution within the Tunguska impact area.

b) Trip to the Kamchatka peninsula with an emphasis on study of the modern hyperthermophilic habitats in geothermal hot springs, geysers and crater lakes of the Kamchatka peninsula.

Experiments and field expeditions to permafrost areas of astrobiological interest. David Gilichinsky, Institute of Physical-Chemical and Biological problems of Soil Science, Russian Academy of Sciences, RUSSIA