GORDON RESEARCH CONFERENCE ON THE ORIGIN OF LIFE
Salve Regina University, Newport, Rhode Island
August 21-26, 1994
David J. Des Marais, Chairman; Gerald F. Joyce, Vice Chairman
This meeting addresses several aspects of origin of life studies, including the
early history and environment of earth, prebiotic chemistry, and the geologic
and molecular biological record of early evolution. A session on early Mars is
also included! A single fee ($465., if paid before July 31) covers
registration, room and board for the entire meeting. To obtain a registration
form please send a request to the Gordon Research Conference Office (tel.:
401-783-4011, FAX: 401-783-3372) or to D. Des Marais (tel. 415-604-3220, FAX:
415-604-1088, email: david_desmarais at qmgate.arc.nasa.gov).
Monday AM: External controls on the early environment;
S. Chang, discussion leader
J. Cronin Organic chemistry of the early solar system: recent molecular and
isotopic analyses of meteorites
V. Oberbeck Meteorite impacts and the origin and early evolution of life
Y. Zhang History of mantle/crust exchange of volatiles
Monday PM: RNA World; G. Joyce, discussion leader
A. Schwartz Testing candidates for a pre-RNA world
R. Green Defining the minimal requirements for the peptidyl transferase
reaction of the ribosome
Tuesday AM: Iron and sulfur transformations; H. Holland, discussion leader
G. Wachterhauser The iron-sulfur world in Vitro
K. Stetter Hyperthermophilic communities in deep terrestrial and submarine
environments: the iron-sulfur world in Vivo
D. Canfield The early geologic record of iron and sulfur biogeochemistry
Tuesday PM: The role of phosphate; D. Canfield, discussion leader
G. Arrhenius Phosphate - an early choice
H. Holland Marine phosphate and atmospheric O2
Wednesday AM: Mars; J. Rummel, discussion leader
J. Farmer Exopaleontology and the search for a fossil record on Mars
J. Wisdom Orbital obliquity history of Mars and Earth
C. McKay Earth analogs to past life on Mars
Wednesday PM: Early phylogeny; A. Knoll, discussion leader
A. Lazcano Rooting the tree of life: what came before the last common
ancestor?
S. Barns Novel Archaeal lineages from a natural microbial population
Thursday AM: Photosynthesis; R. Castenholz, discussion leader
B. Pierson Physiological ecology and the evolution of diversity among
ancient photosynthetic bacteria
R. Blankenship Evolution of photosynthetic reaction centers
A. Knoll The Precambrian record of photosynthetic organisms
Thursday PM: Early biosphere: the rock record;
B. Simoneit, discussion leader
D. Lowe Life on an early warm (hot?) earth
R. Summons Molecular fossils: the nature and quality of the record
in Archean and Proterozoic sediments
Friday AM: Prebiotic chemistry: membranes, microenvironments and light
S. Miller, discussion leader
A. Pohorille Structure and functions of the earliest membrane systems:
computer simulations
D. Deamer Membrane permeability and encapsulated catalysts
P. Braterman Photochemistry of iron(II)-containing systems in prebiotic
reduction and synthesis
