Environmental
and Natural Resource Sciences— Microbial Ecology in Extreme Environments
Study
Abroad
July
1998 to Dec. 1998
James
Cook University, Queensland, Australia
Desert
Savannah Ecosystems and Tropical Marine Biology (Great Barrier Reef)
B.A.
2000
Williamette
University
Biology,
Minor in Environmental Science
Professional
Interests
My primary research interests
are microbial ecology in extreme environments and astrobiology. I am currently
investigating life in extremely cold settings. Specifically, my research
explores the microbial communities found in the permanent ice cover of
Lake Vida, Antarctica.
Lake Vida, located in the McMurdo
Dry Valleys, Antarctica, is an "ice-sealed" lake with ~19 meters of ice
covering a highly saline liquid water column. The inferred saline lake
beneath the ice remains liquid at a temperature of -10ºC presumably because
of the high concentration of salts (245 ppt, 7 times greater than the
salinity of seawater). The lake is unlike any other permanently ice covered
lakes in the McMurdo Dry Valleys—no other lakes, such as this, are
known to exist on earth. My research involves examining the microbial
communities that exist in the ~19 m permanent ice cover of Lake Vida.
The community survey encompasses determination of the distribution, abundance,
and phylogeny of bacteria, archaea, and eukarya within the ice cover.
Mounting evidence of microbes
persisting within icy environments on earth leads to the supposition that
microbes may have inhabited ice on other planets during past or present
times. Evidence strongly suggests that Europa (one of Jupiter's moons)
and Mars harbor considerable amounts of ice. Therefore, these planets
are primary targets for studies of potential life beyond earth. Further
study of microorganisms found in the permanent ice cover Lake Vida will
possibly provide insight into the icy habitats on Europa and Mars that
may support or harbor life.
Recent Awards
Governor Kenny Guinn Environmental
Research Fellowship, 2004-2005
NASA Space Grant Fellowship,
2003-2004
Joan M. Comanor Scholarship,
2003-2004
Ford Graduate Scholar, 2002-2004
Graduate Student Association
Travel Grant, Summer 2003
Selected
Presentations / Publications
Mosier, A.C., A.E. Murray,
J.C. Priscu, and C.H. Fritsen (2004)
Microbial assemblages in
the 19-meter ice cover of Lake Vida, Antarctica as a potential analogue
to icy environments beyond Earth. Poster Presentation. Astrobiology
Science Conference. NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California.
Mosier, A.C., A.E. Murray,
J.C. Priscu, and C.H. Fritsen (2004)
Assessment of microbial
populations in the 19-meter ice cover of Lake Vida, Antarctica. Poster
Presentation. American Society of Microbiology General Meeting. New
Orleans, Louisiana.
Mosier, A.C. (2004)
Association between microbial
ecology in the ice cover of Lake Vida and astrobiology. Oral Presentation.
Annual Nevada Space Grant Consortium Conference. Las Vegas, Nevada.
Mosier, A.C., A.E. Murray,
P.T. Doran, and C.H. Fritsen (2004)
Microbial assemblages in
the 19-meter ice cover of "ice-sealed" Lake Vida, Antarctica.
Oral Presentation. NASA Astrobiology Graduate Conference. Tucson, Arizona.
Section Editor for an Astrobiology
Primer publication (In Progress)
Organized by Dr. Rosalind
Grymes, Deputy Director of the NAI, and Lucas Mix, Doctoral Candidate
at Harvard University. Aim of the primer is to provide a resource for
scientists to gain an understanding of the goals and terminology within
each sub-discipline in astrobiology (e.g. astronomy, microbiology, astrophysics,
geology).
