EUROPEAN ASTROBIOLOGY NETWORK ASSOCIATION (EANA)
Since, there are several centres of excellence in astrobiology or related fields of research in Europe, there was and is a need that they are co-ordinated to share there expertise and research facilities. This was the main drive for European scientists to organize and create a European Astrobiology Network Association (EANA) for the scientific benefit and the public in general.
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The 9th European Workshop on Astrobiology “EANA’09” was held in the Royal Library of Brussels, Belgium, from October 12-14, 2009, hosted by the Belgian Astrobiology Group BAG. A main section of EANA’09 was devoted to sessions paying homage to Darwin’s theory of evolution, thereby celebrating the 150th anniversary of the first publication of the path-finding book “The Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection” and the anniversary of the 200th birthday of Charles Darwin:
1. In Homage to Darwin’s Theory of Evolution: Prebiotic Chemical Evolution
2. In Homage to Darwin’s Theory of Evolution: Early Biosphere and Biological Evolution
On October 12, an invited lecture entitled “Darwin’s Warm Little Pond: the Origin and Early Evolution of Life” was given by Antonio Lazcano, former President of ISSOL.
Further sessions included the following topics:
3. Life in Extreme Environments
4. Astrobiology of Planets and Small Bodies of our Solar System
5. Planetary Protection
6. Astrobiological Aspects in Astrophysics and Astrochemistry
7. Human Exploratory Missions and Astrobiology
8. Education and Networking in Astrobiology
In a panel session on October 13, the major European projects related to Astrobiology were presented in short statements. The abstracts of oral and poster presentation given at EANA’09 will be published in 2010 in the journal Origins of Life and Evolution of Biospheres.
The next annual meeting of EANA, the 10th European Workshop on Astrobiology, will be held on September 6-8, 2010 in Pushchino, Moscow Region, Russia.
For more details download PDF file with more details about EANA09
ESA’s Directorate of Human Space Flight
has released a Request for Information (RFI) for experiments and payload elements for accommodation on their first lunar lander. It is intended that these inputs shall be used to inform the early design phases of the mission in advance of a formal Announcement of Opportunity.
Dear colleagues,
Good news! With help of Alan Schwartz the abstracts of the last EANA meeting, the 8th European Workshop on Astrobiology "EANA'08", which have been published in Orig. Life Evol. Biosph., 2009, 39, 1-89, are now available free on-line for a limited period of time under:
http://www.springer.com/earth+sciences?SGWID=0-10006-0-0-0
I would like to thank Alan and Springer for providing us this opportunity
With best regards
Gerda
NEWS and VIEWS
EXOMARS ORBITER AO
The European Space Agency (ESA) and the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration (NASA) Science Mission Directorate (SMD) intend to release in
January 2010 an announcement of opportunity requesting proposals for
instruments to be flown on the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter with the objective
of studying trace gases in the atmosphere of Mars.
For some preliminary
information and a provisional schedule of milestones, please visit:
http://exploration.esa.int/
http://sci.esa.int/jump.cfm?oid=46127
** Space exposure experiments en route for Space Station **
A suite of ESA experiments, some of which could help understand how life originated on Earth, is heading for the International Space Station on board the Russian Progress vehicle which launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 13:38 CET (12:38 UT) 26 November 2008.
Read more: www.esa.int/esaHS/SEMAVT9WYNF_index_0.html
Expose-R_experiments_list.xls
Expose-R_expt_summaries.doc
A team working high in the Peruvian Andes has discovered how microbes swiftly colonize barren soils uncovered by melting glaciers. The study shows how microbes are able to establish themselves in one of Earth's most extreme environments, and how these unique organisms are adapting to climate change. (http://www.astrobio.net/news/article2870.html).
sent by Andre` Brack on the 16th September 2008
CONGRATULATIONS GERDA !!!
Newly discovered spore-forming bacterium named after DLR microbiologist Dr. Gerda Horneck - B. Horneckiae
8th October 2008
For more news visit Latest news