Spaceward BoundGeoffrey Payton

What is Spaceward Bound

• Program developed for future and current Science and Math Teachers to bring NASA related science into the class room– CSU Desert Research Station in Zzyzx– Mojave Desert• Study of Analogs

– Extremophiles– Geological

Man it must have been HOT

and BOOOORING!

Map of Zzyzx,CA

What Are Extremophiles

• Organisms that live in extreme environments– Extreme- Places that humans can not normally

tolerateDUDE! THAT’S

ME!!!I’m EXTREME

Why Study Extremophiles?

• Helps to establish a ‘threshold’ for life– Tells us more about the most extreme scenarios where

life is possible – We can then apply this information to outer space

• Expands the horizons of Viable Planets– Analogous for extraterrestrial life

• Enables us to look for life in areas where life was previously thought to not be able to survive

• Helps us identify what life would be like on other planets, in these extreme environments

Extremophiles

• Extremophiles– Live in extreme environments• Halophiles• Thermophiles• Acidophile• Alkaliphile• Radioresistant• Xerophile

Those are my PEEPS RIGHT

THURRR!

Extremophiles

• Halophiles- Lives in High salt concentrations• Thermophiles- Lives in Extreme Environments• Acidophile- Lives in High pH• Alkaliphile- Lives in Low pH• Radioresistant- Resistant to Radiation• Xerophile- Lives in Dry environments

Tardigrade/Water Bears

Chernobyl FungusMethane Ice Worm

D. radiodurans

What type of Extremophile would we study in the Mojave Desert?

• Radioresistant• Xerophiles• Halophiles• Thermophiles• Acidophiles• Alkaliphiles

As an Astronaut, how would you know these Soil Crusts are alive?

• How do you test for life on Mars?– ATP!– ATP is the primary product of metabolism and is

one of the hallmarks of life– You can test for ATP in several ways• Measuring metabolism (eating food…)• ATPmeter

– Redox dyes for measuring metabolism• First take samples

Hallmark like the card?!