Graduate Study: Certificate in Astrobiology Course Descriptions

Please consult the current UW Time Schedule for scheduling information and course availability.

Primary Courses

Astrobiology Disciplines (4 credits)
Offered every other Autumn Quarter alternating with Astrobiology Topics.

Astrobiology is the study of the origin of life on Earth and the distribution of life in the Universe. The cross-disciplinary nature of this field mandates effective collaboration among biologists, astronomers, oceanographers, atmospheric scientists, chemists, planetary scientists, and geologists. To this end, participants are required to understand the fundamental concepts in all of these disciplines. This course will provide students with a concise background of the subject matter relevant to astrobiology within these disciplines. Students will be asked to do a literature presentation during finals week.

Astrobiology Topics (4 credits)
Offered every other Autumn Quarter alternating with Astrobiology Disciplines.

Astrobiology is a rapidly evolving discipline, and this course is designed to acquaint students with issues of current research interest. A series of three, three-week segments provide students with a detailed exposure to astrobiological topics in subjects that are particular strengths of the UW Astrobiology Program.

Each three-week segment is led by a different faculty member involved with the particular research under examination. At least one segment provides background information relating to the Capstone Workshop (see below) scheduled for that year. A lead faculty member is present throughout the course to provide connections and to coordinate all the segments.

Topics will be taken from a variety of disciplines including, for example, Earth Sciences (e.g., Archaean chemistry, atmospheres and geology, hydrothermal vents, meteorites and impacts), Planetary Sciences (e.g., water on Mars, extrasolar planets, Europan ocean), Space Technology (e.g., Mars biology experiments, Mars exploration, Moon exploration), and Biology (e.g., origin of life, the Archaean fossil record, Extremophiles, mass extinctions).

Students will be asked to do a literature presentation during finals week.

Capstone Experience—Astrobiology Workshop (non-credit)
Autumn Quarter
Minimum of three workshops required.

An annual two/three-day event held at a field site or laboratory. As a group, these workshops provide students with a unifying "capstone" experience in a broad range of physical and biological sciences. Workshop participants interact closely with the other students and faculty in the AB Certificate Program. Past Workshops

Astrobiology Research Rotation (min. 3, max. 10 credits)

December 2008. In order to help solve the problem of students waiting too long in their graduate careers to do their rotations and to improve the rotation experience in general, the AB Faculty have made the following changes in the requirement for the AB Certificate; these changes apply to those who entered the Program in 2007 or later.

One quarter of research outside the student's discipline is required, in an AB research group, either at the UW or at another institution. The topic and mentor for this experience must be approved beforehand by the Astrobiology Graduate Advisor as being both sufficiently broadening and relevant to the student's research interests. In particular, students in the physical sciences are encouraged to do their rotation in the biological sciences, and vice-versa. At the end of the rotation the student will make an oral presentation of the research accomplished.

Students are encouraged to consider delay using one of their IGERT quarters in order to use it for their rotation quarter.

Choosing the topic and completing the rotation

Before the end of his/her second year in the AB Program (normally Spring quarter), each student will submit for approval to the Astrobiology Graduate Advisor a proposal (maximum of 2 pages) for the rotation that includes:

• planned research project and any needed preparations (such as background reading or training)
• rationale for the project (relevance to thesis direction, relevance to AB)
• justification that the research project is sufficiently beyond the student's major field to provide breadth
• planned dates for the rotation
• evidence of agreement that any costs for the rotation research have been discussed and adequate funds identified (funds may be available to help with this)
• concurrence of student's advisor and rotation supervisor

With regard to schedule, completion of the project by the end of the third year is strongly encouraged. If the intended project becomes impossible, or if significant changes must be made for any reason, then the changes should be submitted for approval as soon as possible during the third year.

Astrobiology Ethics Seminar (variable credits)
This entry needs re-writing:A series of 5 seminars, offered during the summer, which cover ethical questions of particular concern to Astrobiologists. These seminars are required for the certificate, but for flexibility and to accommodate time constraints, no credit will be given.

Astrobiology Lecture Series (1 credit)
A lecture series on astrobiology research topics offered primarily by visiting researchers during Autumn and Spring Quarters.

Astrobiology Winter Quarter Seminar (1 credit)
Offered Winter Quarters and open only to Astrobiology Program participants (others by permission). The seminar focuses on a particular astrobiology research topic, with presentations by all students under faculty guidance. In Winter 2001 the topic was "Planetary Atmospheres."

Cognate Courses

Including, but not limited to:

Geophysics/Atmospheric Sciences 508: biogeochemical cycles
Atmospheric Sciences/Geophysics/Astronomy 555: planetary atmospheres
Geology/Geophysics/Astronomy 556: planetary surfaces
Astronomy 557/Earth & Space Sciences 583: origin of the solar system
Geology 403: paleobiology
Microbiology 530: microbial diversity
Biochemistry 530: special topics: origin of life
Oceanography 530: biological oceanography: bacteria and protozoa
Oceanography 534: methods in biological oceanography
Oceanography 539B: marine psychrophilic and thermophilic communities
Oceanography 570: marine microbial interactions
Genetics 570: phylogenetic inference
Aeronautics & Astronautics 499: space mission design seminar
Medical History 422: history of evolution theory
Medical History 424: modern biology in historical perspective
Medical History 523: biomedical ethics
Medical History 525: seminar in history and philosophy of biology