First European workshop on Exo/Astrobiology
- First European Workshop on Exo/Astrobiology
- Background and Purpose
- Objectives of the Workshop
- Topics to be covered by the Workshop
- Sponsors:
- Organizing Committee:
- Science Advisory Committee:
- Location of the Workshop
- Organisation of the Workshop
- Submission of abstracts
- Requests for Financial support
First European Workshop on Exo/Astrobiology
First Announcement and Call for Papers
ESA/ESRIN, Frascati (near Rome, Italy) - 21-24 May 2001
Background and Purpose
The multidisciplinary area of Exo/Astrobiology has recently experienced a tremendous surge of interest within the wide scientific community involving both space and non-space disciplines. This includes such diverse fields as the chemical origin of life on Earth, the persistence of life in extreme conditions, interplanetary transport mechanisms and search for life strategies in the Solar System and beyond.
The European Exobiology Network is an association of European scientists active in this field and dedicated to bringing together and strengthening European scientific and intellectual resources to ensure a leading role for Europe in this field.
Since the 1980's the ESA microgravity life sciences activities have involved exobiology research concentrated on the effects of low Earth space conditions such as solar and cosmic radiation and low gravity on organic and life forms. The programme intends to extend these activities to search for life strategies in the Solar System.
Recently the activities of the ESA Space Science programme have been extended to include exo/astrobiology as a cross-fertilised discipline which can benefit from a number of ESA missions such as Huygens-Cassini, Mars Express, Rosetta, Eddington and IRSI-Darwin.
Jointly these two programmes aim to work together to promote an integrated and coordinated European approach in order to optimise the use of space-related resources and ensure a lead role for European Science in this important, emerging field.
This is the first of an intended series of workshops aimed at bringing together European scientists to review the status of the field and develop future plans and perspectives.
Objectives of the Workshop
Based on interactive dynamic discussions, the workshop aims to:
- identify the European potential in Exo/Astrobiology
- foster European cooperation through joint projects in Exo/Astrobiolgy
- strengthen the European Network in Exo/Astrobiology
- encourage young scientists to participate in exo/astrobiological research in Europe
- promote a constructive research interface between exobiological expertise in Europe and the rest of the World for the benefit of the discipline and the planet
- develop a perspective for longer term Exobiology research, especially in relation to human missions to Mars
Topics to be covered by the Workshop
- Initial conditions and environment for the emergence of Life on Earth (evolution of planets and their satellites, atmosphere and hydrosphere, conditions necessary for life)
- Chemistry of the origin of life on Earth (ingredients, extraterrestrial organic chemistry, theories of the origin of life, prebiotic chemical evolution, early life, last common ancestor)
- Life in the extremes and terrestrial analogues for extraterrestrial habitats. Signatures of microbial life
- Prospects for life beyond the Earth (planets/moons of the Solar System, extrasolar planets, extra solar life)
- Strategy for search of life with emphasis on "in situ" analysis vs sample return, respective roles of humans and robots
- Societal aspects
Sponsors:
European Exobiology Network European Space Agency
Organizing Committee:
André BRACK (chairman) France
Paul CLANCY ESA
Marcello CORADINI ESA
Malcolm FRIDLUND ESA
Marc HEPPENER ESA
Beda HOFMANN Switzerland
Gerda HORNECK Germany
Juan PEREZ-MERCADER Spain
David WYNN-WILLIAMS United Kingdom
Science Advisory Committee:
Ricardo AMILS Spain
Herrick BALTSCHEFFSKY Sweden
Clas BLOMBERG Sweden
Christiano COSMOVICI Italy
Don COWAN United Kingdom
Pascale EHRENFREUND The Netherlands
David FIELD Denmark
Nils HOLM Sweden
Jean-Luc JOSSET Switzerland
Günter KIEDROWSKI Germany
Helmut LAMMER Austria
Gian-Gabriele ORI Italy
Roland PAEPE Belgium
Alan PENNY United Kingdom
François RAULIN France
Didier SCHMITT ESA
Alan SCHWARTZ The Netherlands
Gerhard SCHWEHM ESA
Helga STAN-LOTTER Austria
Karl STETTER Germany
Sergio VOLONTE' ESA
Ray WOLSTENCROFT United Kingdom
Location of the Workshop
ESA's European Space Research Institute, known as ESRIN, is based in Frascati, a small historic town 20 km south of Rome: see http://www.hurricane.it/castelliromani/frascati
For information on ESRIN's main functions, activities and how it works: see http://www.esrin.esa.int/
Mail: ESA/ESARIN,
Via Galileo Galilei,
Casella Postale 64,
00044 Frascati (RM),
Italy
Organisation of the Workshop
The workshop will offer four distinct events:
- Plenary Sessions highlighting the exo/astrobiological achievements reached by the different groups in Europe
- Group discussions on hot topics:
- How did life start on Earth?
- What was the chemistry of the origin of life on Earth?
- How does life adapt to the extremes?
- Are we alone in the Universe?
- How can we search for life in the Solar System? - Poster sessions with the purpose to give background details for the more general presentations in plenary sessions or discussion groups
- Network sessions to foster the European Network in Exo/Astrobiology
ESA will publish the Proceedings of the Workshop as an ESA Special Publication (ESA SP)
Registration, Registration Fees and Hotel Reservations
Registration/Hotel reservation (Form 1) and practical arrangements for the Exo/Astrobiology conference (Form 2) are here attached.
No registration fees will be collected in order to allow a maximum of scientists to attend the Workshop.
Submission of abstracts
Abstracts will be accepted on the basis of 600-800 words and may be submitted preferably by using the on-line web form, see Web address: http://www.estec.esa.nl/conferences/01C17 or as an e-mail attachment (in MS-Word or pdf) to confburo
esa.int.
Authors are requested to indicate in which of the events they intend to present their paper:
- plenary session (one abstract per group)
- discussion groups
- posters
Abstracts sent by e-mail should also contain the following information:
- Title of workshop
- Topic (see list)
- Title of paper (centred)
- Author(s) name(s) and affiliations
The full address of the contact (and/or presenter), including tel./fax. Numbers and e-mail address should be given separately.
The deadline for the submission of abstracts is 15 March 2001.
Requests for Financial support
Limited amounts of funds will be available for students and others with limited funding. Applicants should preferably be authors or co-authors of abstracts submitted for presentation at the Workshop. In all cases, a justification for claims on grounds of research commitment will be needed. The deadline is 15 March 2001 for receipt of applications. Requests to be sent to both Drs. P. CLANCY and M. CORADINI at the following E-mails: Paul.ClancyESA.int and Marcello.CoradiniESA.int
Deadlines to remember:
for abstracts: 15 March 2001
for financial support requests, 15 March 2001
for registration (first come approach)