California Space Institute. NASA Specialized Center of Research and Training (NSCORT) in Exobiology Records, 1969-2009 (bulk 1992-2003) (RSS 2300)

Restrictions: Original media formats are restricted. Viewing and listening copies may be available to researchers.
OFF-SITE STORAGE: COLLECTION STORED OFF-SITE. ALLOW ONE WEEK FOR RETRIEVAL OF MATERIALS.

Extent: 3 Linear feet (3 record cartons), + 1.32 GB of digital files

Digital Content

This collection contain a digitized video and digital photographs. These can be viewed by searching the term "RSS 2300" on the UC San Diego Digital Collections website. In addition, the photographs are viewable directly through links in the container list.

The NASA Specialized Center of Research and Training (NSCORT) in Exobiology records document the research and work of the center; including administrative files, event and lecture materials, publications and grants, and site visit materials.

In early 1990s, NASA's Life Sciences Division launched a NASA Specialized Centers of Research and Training (NSCORT) program with the goal of establishing and funding centers focused on different areas of science relevant to NASA's work. By 1991, NASA accepted a proposal from a consortium of scientists from UC San Diego, the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, and The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI). In January 1992, NSCORT in Exobiology was established as part of the California Space Institute and was administered through Scripps Institution of Oceanography.

The research conducted at the center focused on understanding the origin, evolution, distribution, and future of life in the universe. The program also supported undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral Fellows; maintained a visiting scholar's program; arranged seminars, lectures, and other events; and conducted public outreach and education, including curriculum support provided for Elementary and High School students. The work of the center and its scientists resulted in numerous research papers and articles. The NSCORT in Exobiology program was so popular that a second NSCORT program focusing on the origins of life was established in New York a few years later.

Prominent faculty included: Robert D. Tschirgi (Associate Director), William A. Baity (Associate Director), Gusaf Arrhenius, Leslie Orgel, Tony Keefe, and Gerald Newton.

Directors included: Stanley Miller (1992-1995) and Jeffery L. Bada (1995-2007).

The NASA Specialized Center of Research and Training (NSCORT) in Exobiology records document the research and work of the center; including administrative files, event and lecture materials, publications and grants, and site visit materials.

Arranged in three series: 1) ADMINISTRATIVE FILES, 2) EVENTS, LECTURES, AND TALKS, and 3) GRANTS, PUBLICATIONS, AND REVIEWS

Stanley Miller Papers, MSS 642. Special Collections & Archives, UC San Diego.

Robert Tschirgi Papers, MSS 439. Special Collections & Archives, UC San Diego.

Leslie Orgel Papers, MSS 176. Special Collections & Archives, UC San Diego.

Gustaf Arrhenius papers , SMC 128. Special Collections & Archives, UC San Diego.

Container List

ADMINISTRATIVE FILES

Scope and Content of Series

Series 1) ADMINISTRATIVE FILES: Includes correspondence, meeting agendas and minutes, organizational charts, outreach materials, press releases and newspaper clippings, and photographs. Arranged chronologically.

Box 1 Folder 1
Portraits and group photographs, ca. 1970-1999

Includes portraits of Gustaf Arrhenius, Stanley Miller (black and white version), Gerald Joyce, Jeffery Bada, and Leslie Orgel. Also includes group photograph with Alexander Oparin, Stanley Miller, and Jeffrey Bada.

Box 1 Folder 2
Press release and newspaper clippings, 1991-1993
Box 1 Folder 3
NSCORT logo, 1992-1994

Includes slides.

Box 1 Folder 4-6
Meeting agendas and minutes, 1992-2000
Box 1 Folder 7
Organizational flow charts, 1992-2001
Box 1 Folder 8
Correspondence, 1994-1996
Box 1 Folder 9
Website home page, 1996

EVENTS, LECTURES, AND INTERVIEWS

Scope and Content of Series

Series 2) EVENTS, LECTURES, AND TALKS: Includes posters, flyers, brochures, drafts of lectures and talks, audio and video recordings, and photographs. Arranged chronologically.

Box 1 Folder 10
Events - Flyers and brochures, 1992-1998

Includes flyers from Salk Institute seminar (1992), NSCORT journals club, NSCORT exobiology intern conference, and Stanley Miller's 70th birthday brochure.

Box 1 Folder 11
Nash, Madeline. Time Magazine - The origin of life, 1993 July-1993 October
Box 1 Folder 12
The NSCORT exobiology program lecture, 1994 April

Speech presented at Fifth Symposium on Chemical Evolution as NASA AMES research center, NASA NAGW-2881.

Box 1 Folder 13
Conversations with Michael Meyer, 1994 July-2002 March

Includes correspondence regarding NSCORT grant funding, and project continuations.

Box 1 Folder 14-15
Outreach - La Jolla High School - Course in exobiology, 1994-1996

Includes planning notes and correspondence, as well as print out of course website.

Box 1 Folder 16
Events and outreach - Photographs, ca. 1995-1996

Includes La Jolla High School students from Steve Brown class, Rincon Indian Reservation students, Summer Symposiums, and Comet Hyakutake trip.

Box 1 Folder 17
Miller, Stanley M. Prebiotic synthesis of organic compounds and the origin of life - Lecture, 1997
Box 1 Folder 18-24
Miller, Stanley M. Celebrating 50 years of prebiotic chemistry - Presentation materials, 2003-2004

Includes event posters, budget information, award letter, final report, and event photographs. NASA exobiology grant NAG5-13621.

Box 1 Folder 25
Astrobiology graduate conference, 2004 Novmber-2005 September

Agouron Institute grant used for conference funding. Grant number AI-SGIA-26.06.2.

Box 1 Folder 26
Stevenson, David. Origin of the moon - James R. Arnold lecture series, 2006 May

Includes presentation abstract and lecturer's profile.

Box 1 Folder 27
Brownlee, Donald E. Stardust, catching a comet and bringing it home - James R. Arnold lecture series, 2007 May
Box 1 Folder 28
The adventures of Percy the proton, undated

Audio and video recordings

Digital file bb4584344s
The Origin of Life , 1969

Produced by Encyclopedia Britannica. Includes footage of Stanley Miller and descriptions of research. Running time 10:11.

Box 3 Folder 12
The Origin of Life , 2009

Includes correspondence and notes.

Box 3 Folder 13
Polynucleotides and Their Analogs, NSCORT Eschenmoser discussion (Two audiocassettes), 1993 May 28
Box 3 Folder 13
Current State of Origins of Life Research (Two audiocassettes), 1994

Session organized by Jeffery L. Bada for the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Annual Meeting. Session features Gerald Joyce.

Box 3 Folder 14
Student Reflections on the 1997 NSCORT Undergraduate Reflections Symposium in Exobiology (VHS), 1998 January

Video produced by UCSD-TV and includes interview with Manuelita A. Brown (coordinator of the UCSD Honors Achievement Workshop). Running time 21:05 (Reflections video ends at 13:30).

Box 3 Folder 15
Robert D. Tschirgi memorial lecture - Crawling out of the RNA World (VHS), 1998 April 17

First in the lecture series, with speaker Thomas R. Cech. Running time 68:12.

Box 3 Folder 16
UCSD Conversations: Lowe, Exobiology, Brown (VHS), 1998

Includes Patrick Ledden talking about exobiology, as well as Manuelita A. Brown and Lisa Lowe talking about their work. Video produced by UCSD-TV (#3562). Running time 58:00.

Box 3 Folder 17
Robert D. Tschirgi memorial lecture - Gravity is Cool: Why Our Universe is Hospitable to Life (VHS), 1999 July 13

Presented by Freeman Dyson (Institute for Advanced Studies) sponsored by UCSD Exobiology Institute. Video produced by UCSD-TV (#4138). Running time 78:00.

Box 3 Folder 18
The Search for the Origin of Life: Survival of Life Beyond its Planet of Origin (VHS), 1999 July 16

Speaker is Chris Mckay. Produced by UCSD-TV (#4690), sponsored by NSCORT. Running time 29:00.

Box 3 Folder 19
The Search for the Origin of Life: Searching for Extraterrestrial Life-Lessons from the Earth (VHS), 1999 July 16

Presented by Ken Nealson (JPL Astrobiologist). Produced by UCSD-TV , sponsored by NSCORT. Running time 29:50.

Box 3 Folder 20
NSCORT Summer Symposium (VHS), 2000

Running time 2:40:24.

Box 3 Folder 21
Russell Doolittle - The Revolution of Biology (VHS), ca. 2000

Video produced by UCSD-TV (#5226) as part of the 40/40 Vision series. Running time 58:00.

Box 3 Folder 22
UCSD Conversations: Evolution, Fighting Prejudice, Treating Performers (VHS), ca. 2000

Includes Patrick Ledden talking with Christopher Wills and Jeffrey Bada about their book The Spark Of Life: Darwin And The Primeval Soup, with introduction by introduction by Mary Walshok (Associate Vice Chancellor for Public Programs). Video produced by UCSD-TV (#5132). Running time 56:42.

Box 3 Folder 23
UCSD Conversations: School of Medicine, Mars Rocks, CONNECT (VHS), 2001 January 16

Video produced by UCSD-TV (#5469). Running time 55:00.

Box 3 Folder 24
The Spark of Life: Darwin and the Primeval Soup (VHS), ca. 2001

Featuring talk by Jeffrey Bada and Christopher Wills. Video produced by UCSD-TV (#5268) as part of the Perspectives on Ocean Science series. Running time 49:00.

Box 3 Folder 25
The Search for the Origin of Life: The Habitability of Early Mars (VHS), undated

Speaker is Michael H. Carr (U.S. Geological Survey). Video produced by UCSD-TV (#4483), sponsored by NSCORT. Running time 25:44.

Box 3 Folder 26
What is Life (VHS), undated

Video produced by the Discovery Channel, features speaker Jeffrey Bada (NSCORT Director) and includes lab footage. Running time 12:37.

Box 3 Folder 27
Horizon: Life is Impossible (VHS), undated

Video produced by BBC Television. Speakers included Stanley Miller, Jeffery Bada, Michael Russel, and Everett Shock. Running time 15:42.

GRANTS, PUBLICATIONS, AND REVIEWS

Scope and Content of Series

Series 3) GRANTS, PUBLICATIONS, AND REVIEWS: Includes grant proposals, reports, papers, newsletters, and reviews of the center.

Arranged chronologically and in two subseries: A) Grants and Publications and B) Site Visits and Reviews.

Grants and Publications

Grants - The Chemistry of Early Self-Replicating Systems (Stanley Miller and Jeffery L. Bada)

Box 1 Folder 29
Award notice, 1991

Grant number: NRA 90-0SSA-25.

Box 1 Folder 30-42
Proposals, award notices, reports, budgets, and renewals, 1992-1998

NASA Grant Number: NAGW-2881. UCSD grant numbers: 91-1435, 93-1117R1, 94-1072, 96-1111, 95-1033. Includes draft report from Stanley Miller "The Components of the Precursors to RNA".

Box 1 Folder 43-56
Proposals, award notices, reports, budgets, and renewals, 1995-2003

NASA grant number: NAG5-4546. UCSD grant numbers: 96-1416, 22723R1, 2003-9732. Includes summer student symposium materials (2002-2003).

Box 2 Folder 1
Proposal, ca. 2001

Nasa grant number: NRA 96-OLSMA-02

Box 2 Folder 2-3
Award notice and report, 2003-2005

NASA grant number: NAG5-12849. UCSD grant number: 2003815. Includes information regarding Jeffery L. Bada's appointment as Director of NSCORT.

Box 2 Folder 4
Proposal and award notice, 2004-2005

NASA grant number: NAG 5-13621. UCSD grant numbers: 20044150.

Box 2 Folder 5-6
Proposal, award notice, and report, 2004-2007

Grant number: NNG04GQ41G. UCSD grant numbers: 2005-3065, 2004-4150, 20053065.

Publications

Box 2 Folder 7
Arrhenius, Gedulin, and Mojzsis. Phosphate in models for chemical evolution, ca. 1993

Supported by NASA exobiology grants NAGW 2881 and 1031.

Box 2 Folder 8
Robertson, Dworkin, and Miller. Prebiotic synthesis of hydroxymethyluracil and some t-RNA bases, ca. 1993

NASA NAGW-2881.

Box 2 Folder 9
Robertson et al. Prebiotic synthesis of hydroxymethyluracil and some t-RNA bases, ca. 1993

Research presented at fifth symposium on chemical evolution and the origin of life, NASA NAGW-2881.

Box 2 Folder 10
Fan, Mojzsis, and Arrhenius. Confocal study of microaggregates in 2.5 billion year old sediments, ca. 1993

NASA NAGW-2881.

Box 2 Folder 11-16
Annual Reports, 1993-2000
Box 2 Folder 17
T. Arrhenius, G. Arrhenius, and W.J. Paplawsky. Archean geochemistry of formaldehyde and cyanide and the oligomerization of cyanohydrin, 1994 February

NASA NAGW-2881.

Box 2 Folder 18
Lazcano and Miller. How long did it take for life to begin and evolve to cyanobacteria, 1994 March 16

NASA NAGW-2881.

Box 2 Folder 19
Arrhenius et al. Nitrogen compounds and mineral induced reactions in biopoesis, 1994 April

Research presented at fifth symposium on chemical evolution as NASA Ames research center, NASA NAGW-2881.

Box 2 Folder 20
Becker et al. Fullerenes in the 1.85 billion-year-old Sudbury impact structure, 1994 July

NASA NAGW-2881.

Box 2 Folder 21
Rembold et al. Polycytidylate and poly(7-deazaguanylate): A pair of complimentary templates, 1994 July

Nasa NAGW-2881.

Box 2 Folder 22
Breaker, Banerji, and Joyce. Continuous in vitro evolution of bacteriophage RNA polymerase promoter elements, 1994 October

Ms. Number BI9411272

Box 2 Folder 23
Chakrabarti et al. Production of RNA by a polymerase encapsulated within phospholipid vesicles, 1994 December
Box 2 Folder 24
Liu and Visscher. A novel preparation of nicotinamide mononucleotide, 1994

NASA NAGW-2881.

Box 2 Folder 25
Kolb, Dworkin, and Miller. Urazole is a potential precursor to uracil, 1994

NASA NAGW-2881.

Box 2 Folder 26
Gedulin and Arrhenius. Sources and geochemical evolution of RNA precursor molecules - The role of phosphate, ca. 1994

NASA NAGW-2881.

Box 2 Folder 27
Breaker and Joyce. Minimonsters: Evolutionary byproducts of in vitro RNA amplification., ca. 1994

NASA NAGW-2881.

Box 2 Folder 28
Newsletters - What's evolving at the La Jolla NSCORT and summer issue, 1994-1995

NASA NAGW-2881.

Box 2 Folder 29
Correspondence regarding publications, 1994-1996

Includes brochure.

Box 2 Folder 30
Kolb and Orgel. Oligonucleotides as probes for studying polymerization reactions in dilute aqueous solution II. Polycondensations, 1995 February

NASA NAGW-2881.

Box 2 Folder 31
McDonald and Bada. A search for endogenous amino acids in the Martian meteorite EETA 79001, 1995 March

NASA NAGW-2881.

Box 2 Folder 32
Keefe and Miller. Polyphosphates are unlikely prebiotic reagents, 1995 December

NASA NAGW-2881.

Box 2 Folder 33
Braterman et al. Preferential uptake of ammonium ions by zinc ferrocyanide, 1995 December

NASA NAGW-2881.

Box 2 Folder 34
Lehman and Joyce. In vitro evolution: Analysis of a phylogeny of Ribosomes, 1995

NASA NAGW-2881.

Box 2 Folder 35
Bada, Miller, and Zhao. The stability of amino acids at submarine hydrothermal vent temperatures, ca. 1995

NASA NAGW-2881.

Box 2 Folder 36
Summary of NSCORT collaboration with the UC television stations, ca. 1995

Includes list of UCSD-TV productions

Box 2 Folder 37
Bada and McDonald. Amino acid racemization in the Martian environment: Implications for identification of biomolecules from an extinct Martian biota, ca. 1995

NASA NAGW-2881.

Box 2 Folder 38
Bada et al. A search for extraterrestrial amino acids in polar ice: A progress report, 1996 January

Research presented at the international conference of circumstellar habitable zones, NASA NAGW-2881.

Box 2 Folder 39
Brinton and Bada. A reexamination of amino acids in lunar Solis: implications for the survival of exogenous organics during impact delivery, 1996 January

NASA NAGW-2881.

Box 2 Folder 40
Miller and Lazcano. From the primitive soup to the cyanobacteria: It may have taken more than 10 million years, 1996
Box 2 Folder 41
Orgel, Leslie. The origin of life - How long did it take?, 1997 June
Box 2 Folder 42
Arrhenius and Paplawsky. Distinguishing between production and dissolution of biogenic calcite - An old problem with new solutions, 1997 August
Box 2 Folder 43
Schmidt et al. Information transfer from DNA to peptide nucleic acids by template-directed synthesis, 1997 October
Box 2 Folder 44
Schmidt, Nielsen, and Orgel. Information transfer from peptide nucleic acids to RNA by template-directed syntheses, 1997 October
Box 2 Folder 45
Krishnamurthy et al. Toward RNA - The Phosphorylation of glycolaldehyde, 1997 November

Research presented at NASA ARC symposium, supported by NASA exobiology grant NAGW 1031.

Box 2 Folder 46
Arrhenius et al. Early life environments of Earth and Mars, 1997

Research presented at NASA ARC symposium, supported by NASA exobiology grant NAGW 2881.

Box 2 Folder 47
Mojzsis and Arrhenius. Early Mars and early Earth: paleoenvironments for the emergence of life, 1997
Box 2 Folder 48
Mojzsis, Stephen. Ancient sediments of Earth and Mars - Dissertation, 1997

NAG54546.

Box 2 Folder 49
Liu and Orgel. Oxidative acylation using thioacids, 1997
Box 2 Folder 50
Orgel, Leslie E. Polymerization on the rocks: Theoretical introduction, ca. 1997-1998

NAG54546.

Box 2 Folder 51
Progress report, 1997-1998

Includes organization progress report.

Box 2 Folder 52
Koppitz, Nielsen, and Orgel. Template - directed formation of oligonucleotide-PNA-chimeras, 1998 May
Box 2 Folder 53
Liu and Orgel. Polymerization on the rocks: B-Amino acids and arganin, 1998 June
Box 2 Folder 54
Hill, Bohler and Orgel. Polymerization on the rocks: Negatively charged ?-amino acids, 1998 June

NAG4546

Box 2 Folder 55
Liu and Orgel. Polymerization of B-amino acids in aqueous solution, 1998
Box 2 Folder 56
Brinton, Catlos, and Bada. The use of the ninhydrin reaction for the elimination of protein amino acids in cosmogeochemichal samples, undated

Research presented at the Gordon research conference, NASA NAGW-2881.

Box 2 Folder 57
McDonald and Bada. Inhibition of amino acid metabolic enzymes by a-aminoisobutyric acid, undated

NASA NAGW-2881.

Box 2 Folder 58
Miller, Stanley. The components of the precursors to RNA - Annual report, undated
Box 2 Folder 59
NSCORT general organization report, undated

Site Visits and Reviews

Box 2 Folder 60-68
Annual Review Committee, 1991-1999

Includes correspondence, presentation materials, information packets, recommendations, and reports.

Box 2 Folder 69-70
Review Panel, 1992-2002

Includes summary of activities and progress reports.

Box 3 Folder 1-7
Review Panel, 1992-2002

Includes correspondence, presentation materials, information packets, recommendations, and reports.

Box 3 Folder 8
National Research Council (NRC) review, 1995
Box 3 Folder 9
Site visit presentation materials for Jeffery L. Bada, 1996
Box 3 Folder 10-11
NASA site visits, 1996-2001