{"651073":{"#nid":"651073","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Jennifer Glass, Chris Reinhard Join Scialog Colleagues in the Search for \u2018Signatures of Life in the Universe\u2019","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ETwo associate professors in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eas.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;are among 20 scientists nationwide sharing $1.1 million in funding for the inaugural year of a new initiative in the search for signs of extraterrestrial life.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eas.gatech.edu\/people\/glass-dr-jennifer\u0022\u003EJennifer Glass\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;and\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eas.gatech.edu\/people\/reinhard-dr-chris\u0022\u003EChris Reinhard\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;are in the first class of grant winners in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/rescorp.org\/scialog\/signatures-of-life-in-the-universe\u0022\u003EScialog: Signatures of Life in the Universe\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;program, sponsored by\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/rescorp.org\/\u0022\u003EResearch Corporation for Science Advancement\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;and the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.hsfoundation.org\/\u0022\u003EHeising-Simons Foundation\u003C\/a\u003E. Additional sponsorship comes from\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/\u0022\u003ENASA\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;and the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/kavlifoundation.org\/\u0022\u003EKavli Foundation\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EScialog\u0026reg;, short for \u0026ldquo;science + dialog,\u0026rdquo; was formed in 2010 \u0026ldquo;to bring together early career scientists to advance basic science in areas of global importance, and to write proposals for high risk, high reward collaborative research projects,\u0026rdquo; according to the organization\u0026rsquo;s website. The Signatures of Life program first met virtually this June with the founding organizations providing facilitators from a variety of disciplines: Earth and planetary science, chemistry and physics, astronomy and astrobiology, microbiology and biochemistry, and data science.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EEight teams of researchers \u0026mdash; a total of 20 scientists \u0026mdash; are the result of that June brainstorming session, proposing research projects \u0026ldquo;with the potential to transform our understanding of the habitability of planets, of how the occurrence of life alters planets and leaves signatures, and of how to detect such signatures beyond Earth, both within our solar system and on exoplanets,\u0026rdquo; according to a Scialog\u0026reg;\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/rescorp.org\/news\/2021\/09\/8-projects-win-funding-in-1st-year-of-scialog-signatures-of-life-in-the-universe\u0022\u003Enews release\u003C\/a\u003E. Each of the 20 scientists receives an individual award of $55,000.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJennifer Glass: Methane and False Biosignature Positives\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;I\u0026nbsp;am thrilled to start working on a new problem related to my favorite molecule (methane),\u0026rdquo; says Glass. \u0026ldquo;I am excited to have a Georgia Tech student, Camille Butkus, who has already made great headway helping with this project. This is great timing because the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.jwst.nasa.gov\/\u0022\u003EJames Webb Space Telescope\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;is launching this December and will be able to detect methane in exoplanet atmospheres.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EGlass\u0026rsquo;s research proposal is \u0026ldquo;Methane from Nontraditional Abiotic Sources and Potential for False Biosignature Positives\u0026rdquo; and her team includes colleagues from the University of Chicago and University of California, Los Angeles.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Methane is one of the only gases with a dominant biological source on Earth that can be readily detected in exoplanet atmospheres with the new generation of space telescopes,\u0026rdquo; Glass explains. As space telescopes begin to characterize exoplanet atmospheres, scientists are looking to firm up what can confidently be termed a biosignature gas \u0026mdash; and rule out false positives in the imminent findings of methane-containing rocky exoplanets within the habitable zone of their solar system.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;A common assumption in previous models of methane production from abiotic sources (nonliving parts of an environment, like climate and chemistry) is that other rocky exoplanets have a crustal composition similar to Earth. Yet we now know that many rocky exoplanets will be richer in carbon than Earth,\u0026rdquo; Glass says. \u0026ldquo;How would more carbon in a planet\u0026rsquo;s crust affect abiotic methane production? Could it lead to production of false biosignature methane biosignatures?\u0026rdquo; Glass asks. \u0026ldquo;How can we rule these out to avoid false positive biosignatures, and to capture signs of methane-cycling life on exoplanets? These are the types of questions my group is excited to explore with this new funding.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EChris Reinhard: Modeling Planetary Biosphere Evolution\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EReinhard says he is humbled and grateful to receive support from the inaugural year of the Scialog\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026reg;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;initiative. \u0026ldquo;The Scialog model for catalyzing novel interdisciplinary research is one of a kind \u0026mdash; and to be honest, just being involved in the initial workshop was an incredibly enriching and useful experience for me,\u0026rdquo; Reinhard says. \u0026ldquo;But I am very excited to have the opportunity to embark on the project in earnest and see where it leads.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThat project, \u0026ldquo;Stochastic Simulation of Evolving Planetary Biospheres\u0026rdquo;,\u0026nbsp;is based on the premise that the metabolic networks that drive the large-scale impacts of a biosphere are in many ways path-dependent \u0026mdash; which is to say their development will depend on often random trajectories of environmental evolution and on the existing suite of metabolic pathways available at any given time. \u0026ldquo;Our goal is to systematically explore the likelihood and long-term viability of biospheres that are very different from our own, and the signatures they might leave behind in the local environment, or on the scale of a planetary atmosphere,\u0026rdquo; Reinhard notes. His project team includes scientists from the University of Chicago and the University of Oregon.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAGU Awards,\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Honors, Appreciation\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EGlass and Reinhard also join School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences assistant professor\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eas.gatech.edu\/people\/rivera-hernandez-dr-frances\u0022\u003EFrances Rivera-Hern\u0026aacute;ndez\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;and School of Civil and Environmental Engineering associate professor\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ce.gatech.edu\/people\/faculty\/6021\/overview\u0022\u003EJingfeng Wang\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003Ein receiving annual American Geophysical Union (AGU) accolades.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EReinhard is among those receiving the organization\u0026rsquo;s \u0026ldquo;highest honors for excellence in scientific research, education, communication, and outreach\u0026rdquo; and Glass is recognized for \u0026ldquo;meritorious work or service toward the advancement and promotion of discovery and solution science\u0026rdquo;:\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eos.org\/agu-news\/congratulations-to-the-2021-agu-union-medal-award-and-prize-recipients\u0022\u003E2021 AGU Union Medal, Award, and Prize Recipients\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nJames B. Macelwane Medal\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nChristopher T. Reinhard\u003C\/strong\u003E, Georgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eos.org\/agu-news\/2021-agu-section-awardees-and-named-lecturers\u0022\u003E2021 AGU Section Awardees and Named Lecturers\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Cem\u003EThomas Hilker Early Career Award for Excellence in Biogeosciences\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Cstrong\u003EJennifer B. Glass\u003C\/strong\u003E, Georgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eos.org\/agu-news\/in-appreciation-of-agus-outstanding-reviewers-of-2020\u0022\u003EIn Appreciation of AGU\u0026rsquo;s Outstanding Reviewers of 2020\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nFrances Rivera-Hern\u0026aacute;ndez\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nAndrew Dombard\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Cem\u003EGeophysical Research Letters\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eos.org\/agu-news\/in-appreciation-of-agus-outstanding-reviewers-of-2020\u0022\u003EIn Appreciation of AGU\u0026rsquo;s Outstanding Reviewers of 2020\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nJingfeng Wang\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Cem\u003EEarth and Space Science\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;editors\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Cem\u003EEarth and Space Science\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"The duo of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences associate professors are among 20 Scialog\u00ae winners of $1.1 million in funding. Glass and Reinhard are also among AGU\u2019s latest cohort of annual awardees. "}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe duo of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences associate professors are among 20 Scialog\u0026reg; winners of $1.1 million in funding from four organizations, including NASA, for new approaches that could transform our understanding of the habitability of planets. Glass and Reinhard are also among AGU\u0026rsquo;s latest cohort of annual awardees.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The duo of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences associate professors are among 20 Scialog\u00ae winners of $1.1 million in funding. Glass and Reinhard are also among AGU\u2019s latest cohort of annual awardees. "}],"uid":"34434","created_gmt":"2021-09-24 13:53:12","changed_gmt":"2021-09-24 19:51:26","author":"Renay San Miguel","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2021-09-24T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2021-09-24T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"651099":{"id":"651099","type":"image","title":"Scialog\u00ae announces winners of $1.1 million for \u0022Signatures of Life in the Universe\u0022 program.","body":null,"created":"1632511500","gmt_created":"2021-09-24 19:25:00","changed":"1632511500","gmt_changed":"2021-09-24 19:25:00","alt":"","file":{"fid":"247051","name":"space.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/space.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/space.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":922101,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/space.jpg?itok=TCLGIg4Z"}},"638763":{"id":"638763","type":"image","title":"Jennifer Glass ","body":null,"created":"1599157102","gmt_created":"2020-09-03 18:18:22","changed":"1599157102","gmt_changed":"2020-09-03 18:18:22","alt":"","file":{"fid":"242888","name":"Jennifer Glass.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Jennifer%20Glass.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Jennifer%20Glass.png","mime":"image\/png","size":195186,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Jennifer%20Glass.png?itok=MIpHjyGu"}},"627363":{"id":"627363","type":"image","title":"Chris Reinhard","body":null,"created":"1570623378","gmt_created":"2019-10-09 12:16:18","changed":"1570623378","gmt_changed":"2019-10-09 12:16:18","alt":"","file":{"fid":"238863","name":"Chris reinhard.SQ_.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Chris%20reinhard.SQ_.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Chris%20reinhard.SQ_.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1252963,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Chris%20reinhard.SQ_.jpg?itok=mxCqxvjH"}}},"media_ids":["651099","638763","627363"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/eos.org\/agu-news\/congratulations-to-the-2021-agu-union-medal-award-and-prize-recipients","title":"Congratulations to the 2021 AGU Union Medal, Award, and Prize Recipients"},{"url":"https:\/\/eos.org\/agu-news\/2021-agu-section-awardees-and-named-lecturers","title":"2021 AGU Section Awardees and Named Lecturers"},{"url":"https:\/\/eos.org\/agu-news\/in-appreciation-of-agus-outstanding-reviewers-of-2020","title":"In Appreciation of AGU\u2019s Outstanding Reviewers of 2020"},{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/exploring-oceans-earth-and-beyond-reinhard-looks-skies-and-seas","title":"Exploring Oceans on Earth and Beyond: Reinhard Looks to the Skies and Seas"},{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/microbes-and-methane-unlocking-clathrate-crystal-cages-chilly-protein-cocktails-created-deep","title":"Microbes and Methane: Unlocking Clathrate \u0027Crystal Cages\u0027 with Chilly Protein Cocktails, Created from Deep Biosphere Bacteria"},{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/september-sciences-celebration-college-welcomes-new-faculty-honors-faculty-award-recipients-and","title":"September Sciences Celebration: College Welcomes New Faculty, Honors Faculty Award Recipients and Math Scholarship Winner"},{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/did-earths-early-rise-oxygen-support-evolution-multicellular-life-or-suppress-it","title":"Did Earth\u2019s Early Rise in Oxygen Support The Evolution of Multicellular Life \u2014 or Suppress It?"},{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/science-matters\/sciencematters-season-3-episode-2-search-earth-20","title":"ScienceMatters - Season 3, Episode 2: The Search for Earth 2.0"},{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/12-proposals-achieve-college-sciences-strategic-goals-funded-sutherland-deans-chair","title":"12 Proposals to Achieve College of Sciences Strategic Goals Funded by Sutherland Dean\u0027s Chair"},{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/astrobiologists-aid-georgia-covid-19-test-initiative","title":"Astrobiologists Aid in Georgia Covid-19 Test Initiative"},{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/rivera-hernandez-wins-nasa-grant-aid-current-mars-rover-missions-and-find-martian-lakes-future","title":"Rivera-Hern\u00e1ndez Wins NASA Grant to Aid Current Mars Rover Missions \u2014 and Find \u2018Martian Lakes\u2019 for Future Rovers and Crews"},{"url":"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2021\/09\/21\/1039191137\/researchers-suggest-a-different-way-for-farmers-to-reduce-their-carbon-footprint","title":"Researchers Suggest A Different Way For Farmers To Reduce Their Carbon Footprint"},{"url":"https:\/\/astrobiology.gatech.edu","title":"Georgia Tech Astrobiology "}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"364801","name":"School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (EAS)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"}],"keywords":[{"id":"4896","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"166926","name":"School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences"},{"id":"79441","name":"jennifer glass"},{"id":"170504","name":"Chris Reinhard"},{"id":"184997","name":"Scialog"},{"id":"188915","name":"Signatures of Life"},{"id":"722","name":"Astrobiology"},{"id":"170602","name":"Planetary science"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ERenay San Miguel\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nCommunications Officer II\/Science Writer\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nCollege of Sciences\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n404-894-5209\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["renay.san@cos.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}