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Participating institutions:
The Centre for Excellence in Geobiology in Bergen links not only geology and biology but also modern and early earth systems. Research on Astrobiological topics will centre in the coming years on:
Early Earth and Biosignatures
This team works to understand the nature and habitat of early life on
Earth. We aim to reconstruct the environmental and tectonic controls
on the emerging Archean biosphere and to develop new textural and
geochemical indicators of past life. Research will focus on drill core
and surface samples from the Barberton Greenstone Belt of South Africa
and the Archaean-Proterozoic transition of the Pechenga Greenstone Belt
Northern Russia. This team is developing tools and approaches including
raman spectroscopy and nanoSIMS to seek life on other planets.
Deep-sea hydrothermal systems and geodynamics
This team focuses on the Arctic Mid-Ocean Ridge system exploring new
areas for novel vent fields; and investigating the interaction of
tectonic, magmatic and hydrothermal processes. Of particular relevance
to Astrobiology are efforts to develop new technologies for the
mapping, monitoring and sampling of deep marine and sub-seafloor
systems. For example, submarine rovers seafloor observatories and
sensor. They are also working to monitor and model fluid flow in the
subseafloor relating to natural volcanic and magmatic processes and
anthropogenic CO2 storage.
Rock-water-microbe interactions and the Deep biosphere
This team investigates the alteration of oceanic crust by circulating
fluids and the resulting chemical exchange that supports a deep
biosphere. They combine geochemical, microbiological and mineralogical
studies to characterise the chemolithoautotrophic micro-organisms that
inhabit the subseafloor and to identify the energy sources that sustain
these ecosystems. They are also undertaking laboratory and in-situ
experiments to investigate hydrogen generation and serpentisation
reactions. In addition, they work to understand biomineralisation
processes and resulting biosignatures in both low and high temperature
deposits.
Life in Extreme Environments and Roots of life
This team is working to increase our knowledge of deeply branching
lineages within the tree of life especially from the phylum Archaea
and thermophilic micro-organisms from hot springs and hydrothermal
vents. They are studying the microbial diversity of newly discovered
chemosynthetic vent systems and deep sea sediments from the Arctic
ridges also terrestrial analogues to martian subsurface habitats. An
important part of this work involves the development of "omic"
technologies to study the activity of microbial communities in situ.
