HR: 0800h
AN: B51B-0371    [Abstracts]
TI: A Comparison of the Soil Bioload of Mars Analog Sites Using a Novel Life Detection Instrument.
AU: * Smith, H
EM: hdsmith@mail.arc.nasa.gov
AF: Utah State University, BIE Department,4105 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT 84322, United States
AU: Powers, L S
EM: lsp@ece.arizona.edu
AF: University of Arizona, Thomas R. Brown Chair for Bioengineering,P.O. Box 210104, Tucson, AZ 85721, United States
AU: McKay, C P
EM: cmckay@mail.arc.nasa.gov
AF: NASA Ames Research Center, Space Science Division, Mail Stop 245-3, Mountain View, CA 94035, United States
AU: Lloyd, C
EM: crlloyd@microbe-systems.com
AF: MicroBioSystems of Utah, PO Box 6128, North Logan, UT 84341, United States
AU: Duncan, A
EM: Drew4673@yahoo.com
AF: MicroBioSystems of Utah, PO Box 6128, North Logan, UT 84341, United States
AU: Rich, S
EM: Shayne@spectreengineering.com
AF: MicroBioSystems of Utah, PO Box 6128, North Logan, UT 84341, United States
AB: In this presentation we compare the microbial bioload at Mars Analog Sites, such as the Moab, Mojave, and Atacama Deserts as well as high altitude volcanic environments. A novel technique using intrinsic fluorescence for life detection was implemented in-situ to quantify total soil biomass. Soil samples were collected to compare in-situ techniques with traditional microbial assays, such as culturing. The Mars Analog sites differ in soil bioload, but show similarities in microbial patchiness distribution. In addition to the microbial work we also describe the novel instrument used to detect and quantify the total soil bioload.
DE: 0410 Biodiversity
DE: 0452 Instruments and techniques
DE: 0456 Life in extreme environments
SC: Biogeosciences [B]
MN: 2007 Fall Meeting