NASA picks ASU research team to guide study of searc...(nal ASU NAI team for the positive preced...)

"Our proposal was built on the legacy of the 1999-2004 ASU NAI team, led by Professor Jack Farmer. ASU developed a strong reputation in the astrobiology community during those years in large measure because of the activities of that team," says Anbar. "That reputation helped attract some of us to ASU it certainly attracted me."

"Few scientific questions capture the imagination like studies of the origin of life. Such research is central to the mission of the School of Earth and Space Exploration," says Kip Hodges, director of the school. "Many of our faculty members have been involved in these efforts for years, and it is gratifying to see their contributions recognized through this award."

The ASU team is joined by researchers from partner institutions and centers including University of California, Riverside; University of California, Merced; Rice University and University of Illinois Chicago, as well as NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, the Australian Centre for Astrobiology at the University of New South Wales and the National Autonomous University of Mexico. Under the direction of Anbar, the team plans to refine the criteria to guide the search for life by characterizing life's elemental requirements.

Astrobiologists assume that life may develop and survive on any planet that has water and energy. But in the search for extraterrestrial life, these criteria are too vague. Within the solar system there is abundant evidence of water-rich environments. Focused exploration on Mars has identified many ancient aqueous environments, Galileo spacecraft data indicate that the icy crust of Europa conceals a salty ocean, and the Cassini mission discovered water jets on Enceladus. Beyond the solar system, there are probably many Earth-like planets. Theories suggest that many of these planets are "waterworlds," with oceans so deep that they have no exposed continents. All
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