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Keck Institute for Space Studies

Workshop: The Biology of Biosignature Detection

July 17 - 21, 2023
California Institute of Technology - Pasadena, CA 91125

Description

Workshop Overview:

The current framework for life detection for Mars exploration uses the ancient biosignatures paradigm where robust organics and former lacustrine environments provide assessments of habitability. This framework does not provide the science community with direct evidence of extant life potentially inhabiting these regions. With the recent Planetary Science and Astrobiology Decadal Survey emphasizing a focus on extant life searches, it is critical to revisit and update our scientific investigations and datasets to more definitively interpret potential extant biology outside of our terrestrial biosphere.

From their fieldwork and laboratory experiences this team will develop and showcase geobiological, geochemical, isotopic, spectroscopic, and spatial measurements of cellular life. Using these measurements, the study will develop a new framework for biological validation for future missions with science driving the instrument development.


Monday, July 17, 2023
Sharp Lecture Hall - Arms Building (Building #25) - Caltech

Short Courses: Parameters of Biological Validation
Introductory Lectures - Open to all interested students, researchers and faculty
Time
Event
Speaker
8:15 - 8:45  Coffee and Refreshments
8:45 - 9:00 Logistics / Introduction KISS and Team Leads
9:00 - 9:45 Microbial Energy Sources and Subsurface Life
(video) (.pdf slides)		 Karen Lloyd
9:45 - 10:30 Proof of Microbial Life: Geobiology in Planetary Analog Systems
(video) (.pdf slides)		 Frank Corsetti
10:30 - 11:00 Break
11:00 - 11:45 Extreme Environment Microbiology in Ices
(video) (.pdf slides)		 Christine Foreman
11:45 - 12:30 Understanding Astrobiological False Positives from Terrestrial Microbiology
(video) (.pdf slides)		 Martin Homann
12:30 - 1:30 Short Course Ends: Informal Lunch is provided outside short course location

Invitation-Only Workshop Begins
Keck Center - Think Tank, Room 155 - Building #127
1:30 - 1:45 Walk to Keck Center, pick up badge and welcome packet, find seat in the Think Tank
1:45 - 2:30 Workshop Logistics and Introduction to KISS

Bethany Ehlmann
Janet Seid

2:30 - 3:00 Participant Introductions KISS
3:00 - 3:30 Study vision and goals for this workshop Team Leads
3:30 - 3:35 What to think about during the break... KISS
3:35 - 4:05 Break
4:05 - 5:15 Finalize study vision and workshop goals via plenary discussion Team Leads
5:15 - 5:30 Solicitation of Lightning Talks Team Leads
5:30 - 5:45 Team leads tag up with KISS (study vision goals) KISS / Team Leads
5:30 - 6:00 Pack up and walk to the Athenaeum All
6:00 Dinner at the Athenaeum

Tuesday, July 18, 2023
Keck Center - Think Tank, Room 155

Time
Event
Speaker
8:00 - 8:30 Institute Opens - FREE THINK TIME
8:30 - 9:00 Enjoy coffee and breakfast in the Keck Center
9:00 - 9:15 Logistics and Team Lead Goals for the Day KISS and Team Leads
9:15 - 10:00 Special Talk Topic: Agnostic Chemical Biomarkers Kathy Bywaters
10:00 - 10:30 Lightning Talks (2) All
10:30 - 11:00 Break
11:00 - 11:15 Selection of Breakout Groups and Topics All
11:15 - 12:30 Breakout Groups Meet Groups
12:30 - 2:00 Group Picture and Lunch at the Athenaeum
2:00 - 2:45 Report outs from breakout groups (15 mins each) Groups
2:45 - 3:15 Lightning Talks (2) All
3:15 - 3:30 Selection of Breakout Groups and Topics All
3:30- 4:00 Break
4:00 - 5:30 Breakout Groups Meet Groups
5:30 - 5:45 Team leads tag up with KISS (study vision goals) KISS / Team leads
5:30 - 7:30 POSTERish SESSION and Informal food truck dinner at the Keck Center
(dinner starts at 6:30 pm)

Wednesday, July 19, 2023
Keck Center - Think Tank, Room 155

Time
Event
Speaker
8:00 - 8:30 Institute Opens - FREE THINK TIME
8:30 - 9:00 Enjoy coffee and breakfast in the Keck Center
9:00 - 9:15 Logistics and Team Lead Goals for the Day KISS / Team Leads
9:15 - 9:45 Report Outs from Breakout Groups (10 mins each) Groups
9:45 - 10:30 Lightning talks (3) TBD by Participants
10:30 - 10:35 What to think about during the break
(one positive outcome, one outcome to shoot for by Friday)		 KISS
10:35 - 11:05 Break
11:05 - 11:45 Individual pulse on how the workshop is proceeding and what still needs to happ All
11:45 - 12:30 Plenary Discussion, Selection of Breakout Groups and Topics All
12:30 - 2:00  Lunch at the Athenaeum
2:00 - 3:30 Breakout Groups Meet All
3:30 - 4:00 Break
4:00 - 4:45 Report outs from breakout groups (15 mins each) Groups
4:45 - 5:30 Plenary Discussion on Participant Wants and Needs
Selection of Next Day's Breakout Groups		 All
5:30 - 5:45 Study Vision and Goals check in All
5:45 Workshop Day #3 Ends All
5:45 - 6:00 Team leads tag up with KISS (study vision goals) KISS / Team Leads
6:00 OPTIONAL: No-Host Dinner in Pasadena

Thursday, July 20, 2023
Keck Center - Think Tank, Room 155
Time
Event
Speaker
8:00 - 8:30 Institute Opens - FREE THINK TIME
8:30 - 9:00 Enjoy coffee and breakfast in the Keck Center
9:00 - 9:15 Logistics and Team Lead Goals for the Day KISS / Team Leads
9:15 - 10:00 Discussion on convergence of Goal 1 and Goal 2 All / Team Leads
10:00 -10:30 Lightning talks (2) TBD by participants
10:30 - 11:00 Break
11:00 - 12:30 Breakout Groups Meet All
12:30 - 2:00  Lunch on your own
2:00 -2:30 FREE THINK TIME (individual, or self organizing small groups) All
2:30 - 3:15 Report outs from breakout groups (15 mins each) Groups
3:15 - 3:30 Plenary Discussion, Selection of Breakout Groups All
3:30 - 4:00 Break
4:00 - 5:30 Break Out Sessions Groups
5:30 - 5:45 Check in on Study Vision and Goals KISS
5:45 Workshop Day #4 Ends All
5:45 - 6:00 Team leads tag up with KISS (study vision goals) KISS / Team Leads
6:00 Dinner at the Athenaeum 

Friday, July 21, 2023
Keck Center - Think Tank, Room 155
Time
Event
Speaker
8:00 - 8:30 Institute Opens - FREE THINK TIME
8:30 - 9:00 Enjoy coffee and breakfast in the Keck Center
9:00 - 9:15 Logistics and Team Lead Goals for the Day KISS / Team Leads
9:15 - 10:00 Breakout Groups Report Out All
10:00 - 10:30 Open Discussion: Stakeholders & Venues for Sharing All
10:30 - 11:00 Break
11:00 - 12:00 What we achieved this week All
12:00 - 12:30 Path forward to the Second Workshop Team Leads
12:30 - 1:15 Informal lunch at the Institute
1:15 - 2:30 Major Products Development Team Leads / All
2:30 - 3:00 Writing assignments for each topic Team leads / All
3:00 - 3:30 Break
3:30 - 4:50 Developing goals 3 and 4 (2024) Team Leads / All
4:50 - 5:00 Workshop Closing Janet Seid
5:00 Workshop #1 Concludes

List of Attendees

Workshop Participants:

  • Kathryn Bywaters – Honeybee Robotics
  • Aaron Celestian – Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County
  • Pin Chen – JPL 
  • Charles Cockell – University of Edinburgh 
  • Frank Corsetti- University of Southern California
  • Evan Eshelman – Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) Early Career
  • Woody Fischer – Caltech (Team Lead)
  • Christine Foreman – Montana State University  
  • Kevin Freedman – University of California, Riverside 
  • Madeline Garner – Montana State University 
  • Lisa Guan - JPL
  • Martin Homann - University College London
  • Yadira Ibarra – San Francisco State University
  • Suniti Karunatillake – Louisiana State University
  • Karen Lloyd – University of Tennessee
  • Kennda Lynch – Universities Space Research Association
  • Mike Malaska – JPL
  • Jill Mikucki University of Tennessee 
  • Ashley Murphy – Planetary Science Institute 
  • Devan Nisson – Princeton
  • Scott Perl – JPL
  • Sunanda Sharma – JPL
  • Pablo Sobron – Impossible Sensing
  • Sanjoy Som – Blue Marble Space Institute of Science 
  • Mary Beth Wilhelm – NASA Ames Research Center
  • Madelyne Willis – Montana State University 
  • Laurence Wilson - University of York




Short Course Agenda (pdf) Workshop #2 Study Page

Contact Us:

8:30 A.M. - 4:30 P.M.
  (626) 395-6630