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Team HGT - Theoretical, Experimental, and
Ecological approach to understanding horizontal gene transfer in the
prokaryotic world
 Rice
University is the lead institution in a project that brings together
genomics, microarry analsysis, bioinformatics, metagenomics, evperimental
evolution and in situ evolution at a field site in Cuatro
Cienegas Mexico.
Phosphorus
at Cuatro Ciénegas (P@CC) The central
objective is to explore the role phosphorus (P) plays in extant microbially
dominated systems, to construct models for how P may
have shaped early earth microbial systems, and to form concepts of
how this information might be used to explore extraterrestrial systems
that use P.Our field site is in Cuatro Ciénegas, Mexico.
System Evolution in the Siefert Lab
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Extreme
Life Briefing
# Hottest: 235 F (113 C) Pyrolobus fumarii (Volcano Island, Italy)
# Coldest: 5 F (-15 C) Cryptoendoliths (Antarctica)
# Highest Radiation: (5 MRad, or 5000x what kills humans) Deinococcus
radiodurans
# Deepest: 3.2 km underground
# Acid: pH 0.0 (most life is at least factor of 100,000 less acidic) pH
5-8
# Basic: pH ~13(most life is at least factor of 1000 less basic) pH 5-8
# Longest in space: 6 years Bacillus subtilis (NASA satellite)
# High Pressure (1200 times atmospheric)
# Saltiest: 30% salt, or 9 times human blood saltiness. Haloarcula
# Smallest: <0.1 micron or 500 fit across a human hair width (picoplankton)
Credit: USGS |
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Biology
Brad
Bebout -microbiologist, mat specialist
James
Elser
- limnologist
Luisa Flacon
- microbiologist
George Fox
- bioechemist, theoretician
Peter Gogarten
- molecular evolution, theorectical biology
Forest Rowher
- virologist
Maia Larios-Sanz
- molecular biologist
Janet Siefert
- molecular evolution
Valeria Souza
- microbial eoclogist
Mike
Travisano - experimental evoluitonist
Geochemistry
Ariel Anbar
- biogeochemistry
Computer
Science
Yuriy Fofonov - computational
biology
Arturo
Becerra -
bioinformatics
Collaborators/Advisory
Members
Jill Banfield,
biogeochemistry
Dick
Castenholz, microbiologist
Dan Graur, molecular
evolution
Antonio Lazcano - theoretical evolution
Vikki Meadows, NAI VPL
Gabriela Olmeda and Luis
Alcaraz - Bacillus Genome Sequencing
Moore Micoribal
Genome Sequencing
Support - NASA Astrobiology
Institute, University of Houston, NASA
Exobiology
Bryozoans in Lake Sam
Rayburn, Texas
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Cuatro Ciénegas gets the full dome experience!!..
Two shows in Spanish, Fantasy Worlds and Earth's Wild Ride shown
November 11 and 12, 2005
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Cuatro Ciénegas featured at the American Museum of Natural
History... Beautiful photography by Luisa Falcon, Tommy Lavergne,
and Forest Rohwer.
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Cuatro Ciénegas in New Scientist! July 02, 2005, writer
Karen Schmidt accompanied the science team on the spring sampling
trip.
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Cuatro Ciénegas - facts, figures, maps, information
about this unique desert springs.
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Stromatolite
Explorer - Brad Bebout's really cool video.
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Fantasy Worlds - Exploring the Limits of Life- Produced by
George Fox, narrated in Spanish by Maia Larios-Sanz, planetarium show
debuting at the Museum of Natural History in Houston, to be offered
to the Cuatro Cienegas community in November!.
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Donate
Bicycles and Computers - for the children of Cuatro Cienegeas.
Any old used, complete and working computers as well as functional bikes
are greatly needed for the students of Cuatro Cienegas and surrounding
villages. For collection email  siefert@rice.edu.
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Recent Publications
