Virtual Opportunities for BIoinformatiCs RESearch (VOICES): Virtual Planetary Protection Bioinformatics Seminar Series and Workshop

VOICES Program: Project VOICES will establish a 4-day virtual PP seminar series (lecture) focused on molecular biology and bioinformatics, followed by a hands-on 5-week summer research project, with students from HBCU/MSI institutions. Over the course of a month, three JPL PP researchers will host a 4-day intensive virtual seminar series (1 day per week or 2 days for...

Multi-Institutional Cooperation for Research Opportunities (MICRO): Engaging Undergraduate students in Planetary Protection research.

The key objective of project MICRO is to characterize novel bacterial species isolated from spacecraft and associated surfaces by performing an array of biochemical, physiological and genetic tests. These tests involve microscopic observation, colony characteristics, gram staining, API test, omnilog test, fatty acid analysis, polar lipid analysis, cell wall analysi...

Characterization of tree fruit bacterial communities during harvest

Over the last 40 years there has been a dramatic increase in people's desire to consume fresh fruits and vegetables as a major part of a health diet, for example the per capita consumption of apples in the United States in 1976 was 29.9 lbs. compared to 45.6 lbs. in 2014. However, a recent study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) attributed 46% of all foodborne infections in the U.S. to fresh produce. Part of...

Life in the Ancient Permafrost: A model for Exobiology

Current studies show that a diverse community of microorganisms are capable of growth and activity in the permafrost. These microbial polyextremophiles have developed adaptations allowing them to survive oligotrophic conditions, subzero temperatures, low water availability, high salinity, and background radiation. However, permafrost age appears to have a significant impact on microbial communities, dramatically reducing microbial diversity a...