SYLLABUS (Subject to minor modification)

GEOBIOLOGY & ASTROBIOLOGY, BISC 483 SPRING 2011

Tu. & Th. 200-330

Instructors:

Professor Ken Nealson. Office: Science Stauffer (SSH 560)

Office Hours: by appointment

E-mail: Phone: 213-821-2271

Professor Douglas Capone Office: HancockFoundationBuilding (AHF) Room 106

Office Hours: by appointment

E-mail: Phone: 213-740-2772

Professor Katrina Edwards Office: HancockFoundationBuilding (AHF) Room 203

Office Hours:by appointment

E-mail: hone: 213-821-4390

Lectures: 200-330, T-Th,

Prerequisite: BISC 120, Chem 105b. Recommended Preparation:

Recommended Text: Kurt Konhauser, Introduction to Geomicrobiology

Ancillary Text: Brock Biology of Microorganisms, 13th edition, Madigan & Martinko, Pearson Prentice Hall,

Purpose:

To provide a rigorous introduction to the emergent science of the relationships between natural populations of (micro)organisms and the earth environment including the hydrosphere, lithosphere and atmosphere. Topics will include the requirements of life, the origin and evolution of life on earth, the co-evolution of the major biogeochemical cycles, the chemical signatures of life, the potential for life on other planets and how we might detect it.

Policies

1. Grading: 300 points total: Midterm (100 pts), Final Exam (100 pts), ~10 page research paper (100 pts).

2. Research paper will be on topics selected by the students and approved by the faculty. A 10-page paper on the same topic is due by 15 Apr. Topics should be submitted in writing and approved by 17 Feb.

3. Exam dates are firm. If a student misses an exam due to a true emergency (with an acceptable written excuse), Dr. Nealson, Dr. Capone or Dr. Edwards will schedule a make-up oral exam, or at THEIR discretion MAY permit the use of the average of course grades from that student (all 3 faculty must agree).

4. Regrading of exams: Exams submitted for possible regrading must be turned in to the instructor with a written concise explanation of the problem, and will be accepted only within one week of when the exam is returned initially to the student.

5. No special assignments for extra credit are given.

6. Final exams will be returned. They will be mailed if the student provides a stamped self-addressed envelope at the time of the exam. Otherwise, they will be kept at Dr. Nealson or Capone’s office for one semester.

7. Challenges to the final grade must be made within 6 weeks of the beginning of the Fall 2011 semester.

8. Exceptions to the grading policy are not expected, and any student believing they have been granted a deviation from the grading policies defined in this syllabus must have a written agreement signed by both faculty.

9. Any student requesting academic accommodations based on a disability is required to register with Disability Services and Programs (DSP) each semester. A letter of verification for approved accommodations can be obtained from DSP. Please be sure the letter is delivered to Dr. Capone, Nealson or Edwards early in the semester as possible. DSP is located in STU 301 and is open from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. The phone number for DSP is (213) 740-0776.

Dates gone:

Doug

Puerto Rico 13-19 Feb

La Paz 1 Mar – 9 Mar

At sea15 Mar – 25 Apr

Katrina

week of feb 1 GRC conference ventura

march 8th DEBI RCN conference

(some other week in march i'll be in college station - not known yet the dates)

april 4-8 kids spring break

may 10-11 C-DEBI all hands

Radu available- ??

Syllabus BISC 483: Geobiology and Astrobiology

Ken Nealson, Doug Capone & Katrina Edwards

T Th, 200- 330, VKC 158

DATE / Session / LECTURER / TOPIC / READING
Jan 11 / 1 / KN / Introduction: Necessary Concepts / KK Chap 1, 2

INTERACTION OF LIFE WITH ROCKS AND MINERALS

Jan 13 / 2 / KN / Concept of cell: Life at cellular level: organisms / KK Chap 1, 2
Jan 18 / 3 / KE / Concept of ecosystem: Ecosystem structures
Jan 20 / 4 / KN / Taxonomy/Phylogeny: Concepts and Reality / KK Chap 1, 2
Jan 25 / 5 / KE / Minerals & Mineralogy
Jan 27 / 6 / KE / Minerals & Mineralogy
Feb 1 / 7 / DC / Biogeochemical Cycles: concepts, Isotopes
Feb 3 / 8 / KN / Water Cycle
Feb 8 / 9 / FC / Rocks and Life over Time
Feb 10 / 10 / FC / Rocks and Life over Time
Feb 15 / 11 / KE /

Linking Metabolism to the lithosphere

/ KK 4, 5
Feb 17 / 12 / KN/DC/KE / Midterm Exam
Feb 22 / 13 / DC / Carbon Cycle / KK 2.2, 2.3
Feb 24 / 14 / DC / Nitrogen Cycles / KK 2.2.6, 2.4.2. 2.5.7
Mar 1 / 15 / DC / Sulfur, Phosphorus cycles, Ecol Stoichiometry / KK 2.4.6, 2.5.4
Mar 3 / 16 / KN / Metal Cycles / KK 2.4.3-5, 2.5.5-6
Mar 8 / 17 / KN / Genomics and metagenomics
Mar 10 / 18 / KN / Extremophiles -- Microbial Metabolism Overview / KK Chap 1.5
Mar 15 / SPRING BREAK
Mar 17 / SPRING BREAK
Mar 22 / 19 / KE / Hydrothermal Vents
Mar 24 / 20 / KE / Deep Biosphere
Mar 29 / 21 / RP / Origin of Life / KK Chap 7
Mar 31 / 22 / RP / Evolution of Life over Time
ASTROBIOLOGY
Apr 5 / 23 / CJ /

Origin of the Universe: Cosmology

Apr 7 / 24 / ER / Origin of the Universe: Planetary Perspectives
Apr 12 / 25 / KN / Life Detection
Apr 14 / 26 / TYLER Prize
Apr 19 / 27 / Papallardo / Jovian Moons and Titan
Apr 21 / 28 / Sasha / Viking Mission
Apr 26 / 29 / KN / Mars Missions/ Planetary Protection
Apr 28 / 30 / KN/DC/KE / Recap & Review
May / 5 / KN/DC/KE / Final Exams 1400-1600

KN= Ken Nealson, DC= Doug Capone, KE = Katrina Edwards, FC = Frank Corsetti, GJ = Cliff Johnson, ER = Ed Rhodes, KH = Kevin Hand, V = Venkat, John G

Suggested- but no required Texts: Blue Planet 2nd Ed., Skinner, Porter & Bodkin, 1999, Wiley; Brock Biology of Microorganisms, 12th edition, Madigan & Martinko, Pearson Prentice Hall.