Astrobiology Analytical Laboratory
Two Columns
Welcome
The Astrobiology Analytical Laboratory is a component of Theme III of the Goddard Center for Astrobiology of the NASA Astrobiology Insitute. We are a laboratory dedicated to the study of organic compounds derived from Stardust and future sample return missions, meteorites, lab simulations of Mars, interstellar, proto-planetary, and cometary ices and grains, and instrument development.
Researchers
The Astrobiology Analytical Laboratory consists of the following people:
+ Jason Dworkin (GSFC/691)+ Danny Glavin (GSFC/699)
+ Jamie Elsila (GSFC/691)
+ Jen Stern (GSFC/699)
+ Jen Eigenbrode (GSFC/699)
+ Mike Callahan (GSFC/691/NPP)
+ Millie Martin (GSFC/691/CUA)
Students
+ Ariel Lewis (2008)+ Jim Doty (2005-7)
+ Rianne Esquivel (2006-7)
+ Josh Stern (2007)
Partners
We have been proud to host the following visitors to our lab:
+ Oliver Botta+ Zita Martins
+ Graciela Matrajt
+ Kathy Huwig
+ Matt Pasek
Major Collaborations
A large part of what we do is help our colleagues understand the organic compounds of astrobiological interest in their samples. In addition, to samples we rely on the complementarity of different analytical techniques with our collaborators:
+ NASA Goddard Cosmic Ice Lab+ NASA Goddard Interstellar Grain Lab
+ NASA Ames Astrochemistry Lab
+ Carnegie Institution of Washington Biogeochemistry Group
+ Stardust
+ Sample Analysis at Mars
We are also thankful for the meteorites generously provided by the ANSMET teams, NASA JSC, and Smithsonian Institution.
Recent publications
Elsila J. E., Glavin D. P., and Dworkin J. P. (2009) Cometary glycine detected in samples returned by Stardust. Met. Planet. Sci 44, 1323-1330.[PDF].
Nuevo, M., Milam, S.N., Sandford, S.A., Elsila, J.E., and Dworkin, J.P. (2009) Formation of Uracil from the Ultraviolet Photo-Irradiation of Pyrimidine in Pure H2O Ices. Astrobiology 9, 683-695.[PDF].
Glavin, D.P. and Dworkin, J.P. (2009) Enrichment of the amino acid L-isovaline by aqueous alteration on CI and CM meteorite parent bodies. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 106, 5487-5492.[PDF].
Botta, O., Martins, Z., Emmenegger, C., Dworkin, J. P., Glavin, D. P., Harvey, R. P., Zenobi, R., Bada, J. L., and Ehrenfreund, P. (2008) Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and amino acids in meteorites and ice samples from LaPaz Icefield, Antarctica, Met. Planet. Sci. 43, 1465-1480. [PDF].
Johnson, A.P., Cleaves, H.J., Dworkin, J.P., Glavin, D.P., Lazcano, A., Bada, J.L. (2008) The Miller Volcanic Spark Discharge Experiment, Science. 322, 404. [PDF].
Hudson, R.L., Moore, M.H., Dworkin, J.P., Martin, M.P., Pozun, Z.D. (2008) Amino Acids from Ion-Irradiated Nitrile-Containing Ices. Astrobiology 8, 771-779. [PDF].
Glavin, D.P., Dworkin, J.P., Sandford, S.A. (2008) Detection of cometary amines in samples returned by Stardust, Met. Planet. Sci. 43, 399-413. [PDF].
Martins, Z., Botta, O., Fogel, M. L., Sephton M. A., Glavin, D. P., Watson, J. S., Dworkin, J. P., Schwartz, A. W., and Ehrenfreund, P. (2008) Extraterrestrial nucleobases in the Murchison meteorite, Earth Planet. Sci. Let. 270, 130-136. [PDF].
Ashbourn, S.F.M., Elsila, J.E., Dworkin, J.P., Bernstein, M.P., Sandford, S.A., and Allamandola, L.J. (2007) Ultraviolet Photolysis of Anthracene in H2O Interstellar Ice Analogs: Potential Connection to Meteoritic Organics, Met. Planet. Sci. 42, 2035-2041. [PDF].
Martins, Z., Hofmann, B. A., Gnos, E., Greenwood, R. C., Verchovsky, A., Franchi, I. A., Jull, A. J. T., Botta, O., Glavin, D. P., Dworkin, J. P., and Ehrenfreund, P. (2007) Amino acid composition, petrology, geochemistry, 14C terrestrial age and oxygen isotopes of the Shishr 033 CR chondrite, Met. Planet. Sci. 41, 1581-1596. [PDF].
Elsila, J.E, Dworkin, J.P., Bernstein, M.P., Martin, M.P., Sandford, S. A. (2007) Mechanisms of Amino Acid Formation in Interstellar Ice Analogs. Astrophys. J. 66, 911-918. [PDF].
Pasek, M.A., Dworkin, J. P., and Lauretta, D.S. (2007) A Radical Pathway for Organic Phosphorylation During Schreibersite Corrosion with Implications for the Origin of Life. Geochim. et Cosmochim. Acta 71, 1721-1736. [PDF].
Sandford, S.A. Aleon, Alexander, Araki, Bajt, Baratta, Borg, Brucato, Burchell, Busemann, Butterworth, Clemett, Cody, Colangeli, Cooper, D'Hendecourt, Djouadi, Dworkin, J.P., Ferrini, Fleckenstein, Flynn, Franchi, Fries, Gilles, Glavin, Gounelle, Grossemy, Jacobsen, Keller, Kilcoyne, Leitner, Matrajt, Meibom, Mennella, Mostefaoui, Nittler, Palumbo, Robert, Rotundi, Snead, Spencer, Steele, Stephan, Tyliszczak, Westphal, Wirick, Wopenka, Yabuta, Zare, & Zolensky. (2006) Organics captured from comet Wild 2 by the Stardust spacecraft. Science 314, 720-724. [PDF].
Glavin, D.P., Dworkin, J.P., Aubrey, A., Botta, O., Doty III, J.H., Martins, Z., & Bada, J.L.
(2006) Amino acid analyses of Antarctic CM2 meteorites using liquid chromatography-time of flight-mass spectrometry Met. Planet. Sci. 41, 889-902. [PDF].
