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ABRC presented its ongoing research and outreach endeavors at the 5th Astrobiology Science Conference on April 14-17, 2008 in Santa Clara, California, U.S.A.  Fifteen members of the ABRC research faculty, students, and staff attended.  The following six oral presentations and nine poster presentations were presented at six different sessions at the Conference:

7-08-O. Microarray and TEM/SEM Characterization of STIV Infections of Sulfolobus solfataricus Alice C. Ortmann (aortmann@montana.edu), Susan K. Brumfield, Brian Bothner, Trevor Douglas, and Mark J. Young Montana State University, USA

7-09-O. Genomic and Metagenomic Analysis of Archeal Host and Virus Populations from Yellowstone’s High Temperature Acidic Environments Mark Young1 (myoung@montana.edu), Mary Bateson1, Alice Ortmann1, Jennifer Fulton1, Josh Spuhler1, Trevor Douglas1, Francisco Roberto2 1Montana State University, Thermal Biology Institute, USA, 2Idaho National Laboratory, USA

To access abstracts for session 7, Astrovirology, log onto http://www.liebertonline.com/doi/pdfplus/10.1089/ast.2008.1231

15-18-O. Abiotic Nitrogen Reduction in Hadean Hydrothermal Systems Alexander Smirnov1 (asmirnov@gl.ciw.edu), Doug Hausner2, Richard Laffers3, Francis M. McCubbin3, Daniel R. Strongin2, Martin A. Schoonen2 1Carnegie Institution of Washington, Geophysical Laboratory, USA, 2Department of Chemistry, Temple University, USA, 3Department of Geosciences, SUNY Stony Brook, USA

To access abstracts for session 15, The Evolution of the Biogeochemical Cycling of Phosphorus and Other Bioessential Elements, log onto http://www.liebertonline.com/doi/pdfplus/10.1089/ast.2008.1239

16-04-P. Molecular Characterization of Nitrogenase and Hydrogenase Functional Genes: Origin and Evolution of Primordial Iron-Sulfur Biocatalysts Eric Boyd (eboyd@montana.edu), Trinity Hamilton, Trevor Beard, John W. Peters Montana State University, USA

16-27-P. Activating [FeFe] Hydrogenase: Progress Towards Understanding Assembly of a Complex Metalloenzyme Cofactor Shawn McGlynn (simplyshawn@gmail.com), Eric M. Shepard, Joan B. Broderick, and John W. Peters Montana State University, USA

To access abstracts for session 16, Extraterrestrial Organic Chemistry—Biological, Pre-Biological, and Abiological, log onto http://www.liebertonline.com/doi/pdfplus/10.1089/ast.2008.1240 <

24-16-O. Sufate Reducing Bacterial Activity at a Hematite Surface Promotes Formation of the Iron Sulfide Pyrrhotite Gill Geesey1 (gill_g@erc.montana.edu), Andrew Neal2, Catherine Reardon3 1Montana State University, USA, 2Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, USA, 3Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, USA

To access abstracts for session 24, Inorganic and Organic Biosignatures in Minerals, log onto http://www.liebertonline.com/doi/pdfplus/10.1089/ast.2008.1248

37-02-P. Hot Science! Linking Research, Natural Resources, and Education Michele Bahr1 (mbahr@mbl.edu), Susan Kelly2, Monica Brelsford2, Brad Bebout3 1Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, USA, 2Montana State University, USA, 3NASA Ames Research Center,USA

37-05-P. Quantum Mechanical Probabilistic Determinism and the Origin of Life Nathan Haydon (njhaydon@gmail.com), Shawn E. McGlynn, Olin Robus, Gordon Brittan Montana State University, USA

37-11-O. Complex Iron-Sulfur Enzyme Structure Function, and Biosynthesis: Insights into Ligand-Assisted Catalysis John Peters (john.peters@chemistry.montana.edu) and Joan B. BroderickMontana State University, Astrobiology Biogeocatalysis Research Center, USA

37-10-P. An FeS cluster in HydA Is Required for In Vitro Activation and Maturation of [FeFe]-Hydrogenases David Mulder (dmulder@gmail.com), Anatoli Naumov, Joan B. Broderick, John W. Peters Montana State University, USA

37-11-O. Complex Iron-Sulfur Enzyme Structure Function, and Biosynthesis: Insights into Ligand-Assisted CatalysisJohn Peters (john.peters@chemistry.montana.edu) and Joan B. Broderick Montana State University, USA

37-12-P. The [FeFe] Hydrogenase H-Cluster: Origins of Substrates for Biosynthesis Shane Ruebush (sruebush@chemistry.montana.edu), Joan Broderick, John Peters Montana State University, USA

37-13-P. Understanding the Role of HydF, a GTPase, in the Activation Process of [FeFe] Hydrogenase Maturation Eric Shepard (shepardem@gmail.com), Mark Winslow, Shawn McGlynn, Anatoli Naumov, John Peters, Montana State University, USA

To access abstracts for session 37, Origin of Life, log onto http://www.liebertonline.com/doi/pdfplus/10.1089/ast.2008.1261

39-02-P. “Hot Science!” Middle School Science at the Extreme Monica Brelsford (mbrelsford@montana.edu) and Susan Kelly Center for Astrobiology Biogeocatalysis, Montana State University, USA

39-06-P. Education and Outreach at the Thermal Biology Institute Susan Kelly (susank@montana.edu) and Monica Brelsford Thermal Biology Institute, Montana State University, USA

To access abstracts for session 39, Life in Extreme Environments, log onto http://www.liebertonline.com/doi/pdfplus/10.1089/ast.2008.1263