Callisto Presentation

OPERATION CALLISTO

AGENT GILCHRIST-SCOTT AGENT KATZ AGENT KELLY

Hi, my name is Callisto, and I am a satellite •Discovered by Galileo in 1610 •2nd largest moon of Jupiter •Crust about 200km thick •About the same size as Mercury •Surface temperature = -172° Celcius1 TOP SECRET

Want Life? • Approach #1: Mimic Earth - Water borne - Carbon based - Photosynthesis driven

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Water On Callisto? •Measurements of magnetic field •Jupiter’s magnetic field affecting Callisto’s Why this suggests water: •Ice is a poor conductor •Liquid oceans with ions could carry charge •Electric currents in opposite directions3 TOP SECRET

It has water, so what? •Archaea might live in extreme conditions •Examples found in ancient ice on Earth4

Klingon Mickey Mouse

Leftover Turkey

Is that all? •Meteors could introduce hardy critters •Spores can survive: -UV light -Extreme Starvation -Low Nutrient and Water Levels •Spores in 25-40 million year old wasps ?

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Does Callisto Have Craters? Yes! The most cratered satellite in the solar system Valhalla Central area is 300 km across Cocentric rings extend to 1,500 km Gipul Catena Chain of craters 620 km long Caused by tidal disruption Asgard 1700km across Infrared Mapping suggests ice

Still Not Convinced? •1999, Galileo detects thin atmosphere •Atmosphere of CO2 •AND! Very thin, drifts away •Renewed CO2 from under crust (where, potentially, the water is) through observed eroded pores5 •What could be making this CO2?? TOP SECRET

Want Life? Part Deux • Approach #1: Mimic Earth - Water borne - Well, Maybe…. - Carbon based - Check! - Photosynthesis driven - Not Check! • Approach #2: Don’t be boring, be original - Earth a singular example - Life reflects environments - Evidence: - Right handed amino acids in carbonaceous chondritic meteorites1

Ammonia • Structure comparable to H20, Polar • Dissolves organic compounds • Salt solutions conductive

• Freezes at -77.73 C

Gimme Energy • Energy needed to maintain low entropy state • Earth photosynthesis driven and organisms use energetically favorable redox reactions - Other wavelengths - UV, Infrared, X-ray, Microwave - New control mechanism must form

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Electromagnetic Fun Shifting magnetic field suggests flowing ions Proposition #1: Kinetics - Ions driven into cell through regulated channel - Higher concentration accumulates - Diffuse out of cell Proposition #2: Smash or spin! TOP SECRET

Under Pressure! • Proposition #3: Pressure induced osmosis • Tides cause changes in pressure • Regulated channels retain liquid as pressure decreases - regulated by tea pot thing • Energy during controlled release of liquid used to drive reactions TOP SECRET

Osmosis • Proposition #4: Osmosis

Low

- Gradient of ions formed - As organism moves water rushes in/out - Channel couples movement with formation of bond (ATP synthase-ish)6

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High

Hot Hot Heat • Where is heat energy coming from? - Increased pressure - Unknown thermal vents - Could be converted into usable energy - Trampoline molecules up to higher energy states - like photosynthesis - Metabolizing organisms! TOP SECRET

So…life? • • •

Able to metabolize Able to reproduce Able to replicate and transfer genetic material • Has bounded compartments (cell theory) • Able to maintain low entropy state by transforming

Symptomaniac • Anaerobes or aerobes – Krebs cycle/analogue

• Carbon Source: autotrophs, heterotrophs – CO2 emitted, other microbes

• Energy Source: phototrophs or chemotrophs – Not likely mechanisms

phototrophs, but can use described earlier

• Electron Source: organotrophs or lithotrophs

– Use of oxygen, nitrate, iron, or sulfur

• Waste of carbon dioxide, alcohols, or other volatile compounds

Symptoms of cRaZy Life • Alternative solvents - Polar! • Sources of energy: – Penetrating wavelengths – Explore thermal vents, shifting tides, currents • Alternative energy-carrying

molecules

– ATP Synthase-like molecule • Analyze unique compounds (anything could be used!)

• Start search at bottom of the ocean

Emergency Equipment Incubator Room

Centrifuges

Endless Pool

Floor Planz! Storage Room

Mass Spec

Lab Bench

Sink

3 ft

Pressure Alternator

Equalizer Compartment Sterilizer Shower

Fume Hoods

Suiting Compartment Main Entrance

Previous Reports

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gutk2iMYFTs

Handling uh-ohs Laboratory Safety

General Guidelines

• Sealed hazard sterile suits must be worn in the lab at all times • You must go through the decontamination procedure each time you enter and exit the lab • Keep open flames to a minimum and distance flammable compounds from flames or hot surfaces • Gloves should be worn to prevent caustic materials from coming in contact with caustic materials • Tin foil hats must be worn under the safety suits at all times so that the aliens can’t read our thoughts

Containment Procedure • The lab will be completely sealed. Anything entering will be decontaminated and all air will be filtered. • All work with pathogens must be performed within workbench fume hood • Samples transported and stored outside the hood in sealed containers to prevent contamination • Sterile materials such as picks and Petri dishes must be used at all times • All waste with a sample must be disposed of in the biohazard waste containers

Containment Spill, oppss! • Inform another person (if alone press emergency button) • Seek any required medical treatment • Any and all injuries must be reported to the infirmary immediately (if incapable have someone else do as below) • Clean up with disinfecting agent • Place waste in biohazard waste container • Document spill

Documentation Procedure (WWWWHDW) • • • • • • •

Who What When Where How Disinfectant used Waste disposal method

We want you

Lab Hierarchy!!! • • • • • • •

Principal Investigator First Fellow Researcher Fellow Researchers Researchers Field Workers Technicians Laboratory Assistants

The Lab Wiz • Tasks: comes up with innovative and well thought out experiments for the lab, weekly presents lab progress to headquarters on Earth • Responsibilities: overlooks everything in the lab and eventually the one to blame, creative thinker of superior lab experiments • Qualifications: has MD/PhD, Nobel Prize Winner (multiple times encouraged) in Physics and

The Right Hand • Tasks: overlooks all researchers, brings in new information obtained from surrounding labs, note taker during all meetings, sets up weekly meetings with between each researcher with the Lab Wiz and is present • Responsibilities: replaces The Wiz if something happens to him • Qualifications: has MD/PhD, Nobel Prize Winner in Physics and Medicine, just as smart as the

The Fellow Smarties • Tasks: complete the experiments assigned to them by the Lab Wiz and Right Hand, weekly presents experiments • Responsibilities: submits at least 2 papers a month to be published • Qualifications: top-notch researchers with have MD/PhD (chemistry, biology, physics, biochemistry)

The Other Smarties • Tasks: complete the experiments assigned to them by the Lab Wiz and Right Hand, weekly presents experiments • Responsibilities: submits at least 1 papers a month to be published • Qulifications: awesome researchers with PhDs in either chemistry/biochemistry, biology, physics (except us)

Fieldies • Tasks: collect, updates and maintains all samples on the satellite • Responsibilities: report to each of their respective researchers and collect any new specimens or objects • Qualifications: the greatest astronauts in the world with PhDs in Aeronautics and

Techies • Tasks: orders equipment needed by their researcher • Responsibilities: make sure all equipment for their researcher is working properly assists in getting researcher’s presentations ready • Qualifications: smartest technicians with PhD in computer science • Note- two will be techies for the Fieldies and maintain their equipment

The Hearts • Tasks: clean all glassware, clean all equipment, disposes all waste properly • Responsibilities: maintain spill records,make sure all things are properly labels and stored, biweekly total lab bench cleaned • Qualifications: the most OC people ever; recommend to have PhD in biochemistry