Australian Centre for Astrobiology

The ACA has wrapped up for the year, and what a year it's been! We got a new Director, our previous Director is moving to Curtin Uni, and we've had students and postdocs start, finish, and continue doing their excellent research!
Happy holidays and we'll be back in the New Year!

In June this year, Prof. Martin Van Kranendonk led a trip of NASA, ESA, Australian Space Agency, and CSIRO scientists and Program Leaders to the Pilbara, WA.

This trip was focused on seeing ancient stromatolite fossils that are 2.7 to 3.5 billion years old and are considered the oldest, convincing evidence of life on Earth. Studying these fossils in the Pilbara is helping scientists as they search for life on Mars.

By understanding the environments in which ancient life might have formed and how this evidence of life is preserved in situ, we can learn more about the different ancient Martian environments preserved in the geology that might harbour evidence of past life on Mars. To understand if life ever formed on Mars and where we might find it, we must first study Earth analogues of early life and its environments.

This international group is a testament to the global importance of understanding and learning from the Pilbara's unique ancient geology.

Read more about the trip here:

NASA, Partners Study Ancient Life in Australia to Inform Mars Search NASA's Mars Exploration Program leaders joined their counterparts from the Australian Space Agency, ESA, and the Australian Commonwealth Scientific and CSIRO on a field expedition to visit some of the oldest convincing evidence of life on Earth

A great article by UNSW Science about our recent Pilbara trip collaborating with the Marble Bar Primary School, community, & Nyamal knowledge holders! Thanks to ACA members Prof Martin Van Kranendonk and PhD Candidates Luke Steller and Clare Fletcher for their knowledge & organisation.

Rock formations in the Pilbara hold clues to searching for life on Mars Scientists from UNSW Sydney led a Two-Way learning initiative to teach local school children about the unique rock formations at Meentheena.

A nice summary by the Australian Space Agency of this trip to the Pilbara run by ACA member and former director Martin Van Kranendonk.

The ACA is extremely proud to have been involved in this trip. Two of our PhD students Clare Fletcher and Luke Steller helped lead the excursion alongside principal of the Marble Bar Primary School Shane Wilson. Former Director Martin Van Kranendonk led the NASA, ESA, Australian Space Agency, and CSIRO scientists, engineers, and planners on a tour of ancient stromatolite fossil sites that culminated in visiting Meentheena.

As an organisation, the ACA aims to always learn from other knowledge holders and continue to share our knowledge to inspire and excite people about the work we do. The excursion to Meentheena did all these things. We were able to learn from Nyamal Elders and knowledge holders, the members of the various agencies, from educators, and also from the kids themselves! We hope that we were also able to impart some of our knowledge, and that this trip might inspire the community and kids of Marble Bar to view geology with new eyes.

The ACA hopes to continue this important work, and to continue learning from all the amazing people we met on this trip!

The ACA and NASA are heading back out to the Pilbara to look at ancient stromatolite fossils. While we're out there, Prof Martin Van Kranendonk and Dr Mitch Schulte will give public talks at Marble Bar Primary School. All are welcome to join. They will be held on Wednesday 21st June at 6.30pm, but come by at 6.00 for a free BBQ dinner!

We look forward to our continued work with the Marble Bar Primary School and with the Marble Bar and greater Pilbara community!

New research has shown bioavailable phosphates exist on Enceladus! Read the article in The Conversation for an explanation of this research by ACA members Laura McKemmish, Albert Fahrenbach, and Martin Van Kranendonk: https://theconversation.com/for-the-first-time-astronomers-have-found-life-supporting-molecules-called-phosphates-on-enceladus-207714

Two sites of stromatolite fossils in the Pilbara region of Western Australia have been nominated for National Heritage Listing! The North Pole Dome (3.5Gya) and Meentheena (2.7Gya) fossil sites represent the oldest convincing evidence of life, the evolution of life, and the environments in which this occurred. The North Pole Dome and Meentheena stromatolite fossils are also used to guide the search for evidence of life on Mars and potentially elsewhere in the universe.
Read about the sites and their heritage listing nomination here:

Why the fossils in these rocks make them one of the most precious geological sites in the universe Fossils billions of years old that show the first signs of life on Earth, and could hold the key to life on other planets, have been nominated for national heritage listing.

A reminder that AAM Abstracts are due May 15th. Head to aam2023.org to submit your abstract, register, and check out our speakers! Hope to see you there!

Home | Astrobiology Australasia Meeting 2020 This event brings together researchers interested in Astrobiology from across the Australasian and Asian regions, to develop and exchange ideas on how life in the Universe could originate and persist.

On March 27th, ACA PhD Student Clare Fletcher presented to the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space 62nd Legal Subcommittee Meeting. Clare's presentation called for the Subcommittee to develop a science-led policy to conserve Mars' outstanding universal geoheritage values.

Watch Clare's presentation here:

Outer Space: COPUOS, Legal Subcommittee, 62nd session, Technical presentations, 27 March 2023 p.m. Outer Space: COPUOS, Legal Subcommittee, 62nd session, Technical presentations, 27 March 2023 p.m.

The ACA is pleased to announce that we are hosting the 2023 Australasia Astrobiology Meeting! AAM2023 will take place at 's Kensington Campus, June 13-15th!
More details here: https://www.aam2023.org/
We look forward to reading your abstracts and seeing you there! 🚀🧬🧪

Home | Astrobiology Australasia Meeting 2020 This event brings together researchers interested in Astrobiology from across the Australasian and Asian regions, to develop and exchange ideas on how life in the Universe could originate and persist.

ACA Leadership Change!

At morning coffee today, the past directors of the Australian Centre for Astrobiology met to hand over the mantel to the newest ACA director, Albert Fahrenbach, from the School of Chemistry at UNSW.

From left to right are new ACA director Albert Fahrenbach, recent past director Martin Van Kranendonk (2014-2023), and founding director, Malcolm Walter (2001-2014) who started the centre at Macquarie University and then moved it to UNSW in 2010.

Please join us in wishing Albert all the best in his new, exciting role as Director in the ACA’s 23rd year of operations.

Want to learn about our planet?

Join ACA Director, Prof Martin Van Kranendonk, ACA member and recent hire at UNSW, Dr Indrani Mukherjee, and other Australian and International presenters, on a journey to Earth. This four-part series investigates Air, Water, Land, and the Human aspects of planet Earth and explores topics that range from deep time and the origin of life, to how our planet has evolved over time, to the systems operating on our planet today and the situation we face moving forward under the threat of climate change.

Home: The Story Of Earth In 1969, the first humans to travel to the moon looked back at the whole of the Earth. Since then our understanding of our planetary home and our impact upon it has grown exponentially.

Are you interested in what life as an ACA member and as an astrobiologist can be like? Join PhD candidate Luke Stellar TOMORROW (Thursday 29th September) at 9am AEST for his feature on NASA Astrobiology's podcast Ask an Astrobiologist!

Watch live on YouTube:

Hot Springs & the Science of Comedy with Luke Steller! (Live) Please join us for a new episode of with Luke Steller, a PhD research candidate at the Australian Centre for Astrobiology and an affiliate resea...

A reminder that our event exploring the intersection of science and art is happening today at UNSW CLB 6 at 5pm! It will feature a talk by Steven Durbach and be accompanied by a SciArt showcase hosted by recent MPhil graduate Scarlett Li-Williams.

Alongside the talk by Steven Durbach on September 28th at 5pm we will also be showcasing some videos made by our talented students. Join us in UNSW's Central Lecture Block Rm 6 5pm 28/09 for an evening of showcasing how science and art can complement one another!

This event is open to everyone, so if you would like to join, feel free! The location is UNSW's Central Lecture Block, Lecture Theatre 6.

Alongside the talk by Steven Durbach on September 28th at 5pm we will also be showcasing some videos made by our talented students. Join us in UNSW's Central Lecture Block Rm 6 5pm 28/09 for an evening of showcasing how science and art can complement one another!

This event is open to everyone, so if you would like to join, feel free! The location is UNSW's Central Lecture Block, Lecture Theatre 6.

The ACA is excited to host a talk by Steven Durbach on September 28th at 5pm.
Steven is a Sydney-based artist who probes the intersectionality of art and science. He has a PhD in genetics and explores the concepts of evolution and the emergence of order from chaos using eccentric kinetic sculptures.
This event is open to everyone, so if you would like to join, feel free! The location is UNSW's Central Lecture Block, Lecture Theatre 6.

ACA Director Martin Van Kranendonk features in a MOOC titled "Are We Alone?...well...How did WE get here?". You can access it at https://www.arewealone.us/ if you are interested in learning about where we came from, if we're alone, and how we came to be!

Home ARE WE ALONE? ...well... HOW DID WE GET HERE? ARE WE ALONE? ...well... HOW DID WE GET HERE? This video-based

Yesterday (27/07/2022), the ACA had a festival of events!

First up was a talk by Dr Philip Bell about his hypothesis involving viral eukaryogenesis. This talked spark a lot of thought amongst the ACA with some of our members also working on theories of eukaryogenesis – how complex cellular life came to be. You can watch the talk here: https://youtu.be/9sTYggbjV5U

Next up, we premiered a short documentary made by ACA student Jeremy Tran. This documentary provides a summary of the breadth of research the ACA does. You can watch the documentary here: https://youtu.be/xlZODqb6U04

Finally, we screened which is available to watch on ABC iView. This documentary takes a dive into the life of Carbon from the beginning of Earth’s history to now. Amongst other eminent scientists, this documentary includes the ACA’s Direction Martin Van Kranendonk speaking about Carbon’s earliest foray into life found in the Pilbara.

Join ACA Director Martin Van Kranendonk, along with other renowned scientists, in Carbon: The Unauthorised Biography

premiering tonight - 8:30pm!

https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2022-07-12/carbon-joni-mitchell-isle-of-wight-festival-climate-change/101197566

'We are stardust': How carbon came to dominate life on Earth Carbon, born inside stars, catalysed life on Earth — but lately it's been getting a bad rap. This is carbon's journey from cosmic wonder to global pariah. It starts at an (in)famous music festival in 1970.

Mark your calendars! The ABC premiere of Carbon: The Unauthorised Biography is on 12/07 at 8:30pm.

ACA Director Martin Van Kranendonk participated in the film, which also stars Neil deGrasse Tyson and Bob Hazen.

Watch the trailer here: https://youtube.com/watch?v=nQ5XrZGZB04

There has been great feedback since the cinema release and across festivals (recently the film won a couple of prizes in Europe, the Grand Prix at the Deauville Green Awards and Best Documentary at Cinemambiente in Italy), especially from younger audience members. The film is really resonating with the younger demographic!

Are you interested to know more about Carbon, how it came to be, all the cycles it is involved in, and how we have exploited it in a way that is causing Climate Change? Then check out "Carbon: An Unauthorized biography" narrated by Australian actress Sarah Snook, and featuring such luminaries as Neil deGrasse Tyson, Bob Hazen, and ACA Director Martin Van Kranendonk, amongst others. With stunning cinematography, innovative use of wonderfully beautiful animation, and an original orchestral score, this film reveals the full complexity of carbon's abilities and history over the life of our universe. A co-production between Australia, Canada and France-Germany's ARTE, this film gives a personal insight not only into Carbon but ourselves. Playing now in select theatres in Australia and around the world wwww.thecarbonmovie.com

UNSW UNSW Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences UNSW Science

There are still places left for the Grand Tour this year!

The Australian Centre for Astrobiology at UNSW is running another Astrobiology “Grand Tour” in August 2022, led by Professor Martin Van Kranendonk, a leading expert in Precambrian geobiology. This field trip in Western Australia will visit sites that every astrobiologist or geobiologist should see at least once in their lives. It will be a high level educational and cultural/sensory experience that will enrich all participants – scientists and non-scientists alike!

The trip will traverse back through time, starting with the spectacular, living stromatolites of Shark Bay, with a rare opportunity to swim with these protected microbial structures. Following this, we will visit the remote sites of fossilised stromatolites from the c. 1.8 billion-year-old (Ga) Duck Creek Dolomite and c. 2.4 Ga Turee Creek Group, and walk through the transition across the rise of atmospheric oxygen (the GOE). We will then camp at Karijini National Park and hike through a canyon with walls made of 2.5 Ga Banded Iron Formation (BIF), and swim at the beautiful Fortescue Falls. Following this will be a visit to stromatolites of the c. 2.7 Ga Fortescue Group, then the c. 3.4 and 3.5 Ga fossiliferous units of the Pilbara Craton, including newly discovered geyserite in the Dresser Formation, site of the oldest evidence for life on land.

Expect intense discussions about such topics as the timing of the origin of life and oxygenic photosynthesis, whether life ever was (or still is) on Mars, the composition of the Archean atmosphere, and the setting for the origin of life. As well as the science, we will enjoy some spectacular scenery, memorable campfire dinners, and sleeping under the southern stars. Daytime temperatures will be mild (20-30°C) dropping to 5-10°C at night. Rain is possible but unlikely.

Dates: Monday 1st – Sunday 7th Ausgust, 2022.

Location: Western Australia, starting and finishing in Perth (exact address TBC).

More info here - https://www.aca.unsw.edu.au/content/news/astrobiology-grand-tour-%E2%80%93-notice-2022
Contact

Astrobiology Grand Tour – Notice for 2022 | Australian Centre for Astrobiology Australian Centre for Astrobiology “Grand Tour” 1 - 7 August 2022  Following the success of the past three Grand Tours in 2013 and 2015, and 2018, the ACA is proud to announce the return of the "Grand Tour" fieldtrip on 1-7 July, 2022. As a contribution to the astrobiology community the Austral...

ACA student Clare Fletcher presenting their exit seminar for their Master's thesis which examined bespoke methodologies for conserving the ancient life sites in the Pilbara.
We are so proud of her exceptional work

ACA PhD students Luke Steller and Bonnie Teece have been working with a team in Canada and New Zealand to bring together this free virtual workshop on how scientists investigate how life got started on Earth.
The workshop explores complex topics like how to define life, evolution, and how concentration might be key to making vesicles, using data from fluorescence microscopy collected at McMaster University.

Praxical U21 Exploring Life's Origins Online Workshop Promo Click on the link below to join our FREE, fully online workshop exploring the science behind the origin of life on Earth https://www.openlearning.com/unsw-pr...

Had a very energising meeting this morning with other members of the Australian Centre for Astrobiology. We were planning ways to inspire young Australians with the study of life in our universe to create pathways to pursuing careers in our fast-growing space industry.

One of our national goals is 20,000 new jobs in space by 2030. Inspiring all Australians with space is a central theme of the Australian Space Agency's 'inspire' pillar.

"Dr Hazen was interviewed by Martin Van Kranendonk, who is Professor of Geology and Astrobiology at UNSW Sydney, and is the Director of the Australian Centre for Astrobiology.

Prof. Van Kranendonk has also spent a large part of his life mapping rocks: specifically the ancient rocks of Australia, South Africa, and Greenland, and has shared this knowledge with geoscientists from around the world on his famous ‘Grand Tour’ fieldtrip across Western Australia, where he first met Robert Hazen in 2014. "
https://newsroom.unsw.edu.au/news/science-tech/story-earth-and-question-no-scientist-ever-asked

The story of Earth and the question no scientist ever asked The planet's evolution and ‘microbial poop’ were just some of the wide ranging topics US mineralogist Dr Robert Hazen covered at the UNSW Centre for Ideas event last night.

Watch ACA founding director Prof Malcolm Walter AO, discuss early life on Earth and his contribution of a large slice of 2.72 Ga Tumbiana stromatolites to the National Museum (Video length ~37 mins)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3cPSmoLvRE

Ancient layers Astrobiologist Malcolm Walter and curator Stephen Munro in a conversation about some of the stromatolites in our collection. Did you know that stromatolites ...

How have the planet’s minerals evolved?

DIGITAL EVENT: The story of Earth
If we want to understand the origins of life on earth, and how early life developed, we need to understand the earth itself and what it was made of. When US mineralogist Robert Hazen was asked if he knew what minerals existed on early Earth, he started a research journey that led to a new idea – mineral evolution – a theory that proposes that the mineralogy of terrestrial planets and moons evolves because of the varied physical, chemical, and biological processes that lead to the formation of new minerals.

Join Robert Hazen in discussion with UNSW Sydney geologist and astrobiologist Martin Van Kranendonk as they discuss the story of Earth, mineral evolution, where carbon fits into all of this, and the rich challenges of doing science and being able to study nature.

https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/the-story-of-earth-registration-148139678767?aff=cfiwhatson

The story of Earth How have the planet’s minerals evolved?

Phosphorus is 1 of 6 key elements for life, & the detection of phosphine in the clouds of Venus led us to realise that looking for Phosphorus as a potential biosignature might be harder than we thought
New interdisciplinary research from UNSW Science out today
https://doi.org/10.3389/fspas.2021.639068

On the 30th of January join ACA PhD Luke Steller as he presents the latest research on the Origin of Life on Earth. Hosted by Centre of Excellence in Astrobiology from Amity University, India.

Understanding the Origin of Life: A Geologists Perspective | Amity Astrobiology How did life form on Earth? Is there life elsewhere in the universe? These fundamental questions drive scientists to explore other planets, as well as deep within our own Earth, in search for answers.