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We look forward with great anticipation to the next General Meeting of the NASA Astrobiology Institute. The meeting will be hosted by NAI's Lead Team at Arizona State University, on the beautiful ASU campus in Tempe, Arizona.

Meeting goals encompass all aspects of the NAI mission, and include

• the sharing of scientific results and directions
• the strengthening of scientific collaborations
• furthering the understanding and use of our technology infrastructure
• strengthening our contributions to NASA missions
• fostering the development of the next generation of astrobiologists
• advancement of our education and outreach efforts

The NAI General Meeting is a key opportunity for those associated with the NAI to experience and express their participation in the institute as a whole. Organized as an "NAI All-hands Meeting" it will be primarily centered on our Members and Associate/Affiliates through the submission of abstracts, Focus Group discussions, and NASA mission engagement. All aspects of the Institute will be featured, including accomplishments and new directions for scientific research, implementation of the "Virtual Institute" concept, and our coordinated approach to education and public outreach.

Please plan to attend and be a part of this vital, community-building event! We expect an intellectually rich program that will include:

• History of Planetary Habitability
  • Solar System evolution
  • History of planetary environmental change
  • Prebiotic chemistry - in the Solar System and on the early Earth
• Origin(s) of Living Systems
  • Universal requirements and properties of living systems
  • Models for the first living systems
• Evolution of Life
  • Archean paleontology and the earliest records of life
  • Molecular phylogenetics
  • Events in biosphere evolution
  • Origin and evolution of chemotrophic and photosynthetic systems
  • Distribution of Life in extreme environments
  • Mechanisms for survival in extreme environments
  • "Weird life"
• Exploring for Life in the Solar System
• Basic exploration strategies
• Models for extraterrestrial life
• Current mission opportunities and what new discoveries have been made, including:
  • Mars (mission updates, new results from MGS and Odyssey, MER plans)
  • Europa and the other Galilean moons (update on oceans in the outer Solar System)
  • Titan (Huygens probe science)
  • And possibly: Contour, SOFIA, Stardust, other
• Exploring for Habitable Planets Beyond the Solar System
• Atmospheric modeling, surface properties, and exo-geophysics
• Search methods and mission opportunities; e.g., Kepler
• Update most recent results
• Recognizing and Interpreting Biosignatures
  • Interpreting the Precambrian fossil record, including fossil biosignatures and their preservation
  • In Solar System materials
  • In nearby planetary systems
• Education and Public Outreach
• The Virtual Institute: Values, Behaviors and Technologies
  • IT tools and technologies supporting scientific collaboration
  • Reports on successful and unsuccessful virtual collaborations
  • Philosophical/sociological issues (e.g. competition vs collaboration, virtual vs. face-to-face interaction, time issues and collaboration, learning curve issues for both new tools and new behaviors)
  • The future of NAI as an evolving virtual institute

Registration will be open to all those who have an interest in the NAI and would like to attend.

Online registration and abstract submission are now available.