Call for Abstracts
Session B 24: Biogeochemistry in Extreme Environments
American Geophysical Union (AGU) 2006 Fall Meeting
11-15 December 2006
San Francisco, California
Abstract Submission Deadlines:
Friday, 1 September 2006 (mail)
Thursday, 7 September 2006 (online)
For further information, please go to:
http://www.agu.org/meetings/fm06/?content=search&show=detail&sessid=411
You are invited to submit an abstract to the following special session
at this year's American Geophysical Union (AGU) Fall Meeting:
Session B 24: Biogeochemistry in Extreme Environments
Session Description:
Extreme biogeochemical ecosystems, environments which are well outside
the 'normal' realm of life, have provided important insights and
substantial discoveries regarding the limits, origin, and evolution of
life. Microbial communities exist in tandem with minerals, water,
dissolved molecules, and gases--the classic question of whether
chemistry determines the biology or biology determines the chemistry can
thus be seen in shades of grey rather than in black and white. Extreme
environments serve as a setting for investigating relationships between
biology and geochemistry in fine detail--enhancing our understanding of
microbe/mineral interactions, effects of ecological stresses, and
connections between members of microbial consortia. Understanding energy
and nutrient requirements of these extreme organisms will drive
discoveries towards greater understanding of microbial ecology,
geological processes through earth's history, environmental
contamination, and the limits of where life might be expected to exist.
Microbial studies of extreme environments are uncovering novel organisms
with scientifically important and socially relevant enzymes associated
with their often unique metabolic capabilities and ability to withstand
harsh environments. To fully understand these new organisms, we must
grasp their requirements for life and their adaptations to such harsh
conditions. Coupling the description of geochemical environments with
microbial investigations promises to accelerate the discovery of novel
organisms and enzymes through physiologic inference and improve
strategies for culturing new isolates.
Organizers propose a session to bring together an array of researchers
investigating microbial processes in extreme environments--settings
typified by extremes of pH, temperature, pressure, metal content,
organic contaminants, UV stress, radiation, and desiccation. Studies
investigating genetic, proteomic, culture-based, metabolic processes and
other ecological aspects of microbiology together with geochemical
descriptions of biominerals, redox chemistry, nutrient cycling, and
metal toxicity are invited, with special emphasis on studies integrating
microbial and chemical aspects of these systems though field, lab,
and/or computational investigations.
Conveners:
Greg Druschel
University of Vermont
E-mail: gdrusche [at] uvm.edu
Jenny Baeseman
Kent State University
E-mail: baeseman [at] Princeton.edu