Introduction

This Spring School "Extreme Environments" is a collaboration between different faculties of Natural Sciences.

Scientists from various disciplines such as biology, microbiology, chemistry, and physics will impart knowledge about the requirements of organisms under special conditions, as given in extraterrestrial environments or on Earth in the current course of changing environmental conditions.

In addition guest lecturers will give insights on different topics.

Lectures, exercise courses, and excursions will provide students with an overview of the current research on topics such as adaptation of microorganisms to extreme conditions and chemical principles of astrobiology.

Astrobiology

The students gain an overview about molecular evolution (origin of life) in extreme environments. They also learn how chemical traces of extinct and extant life can be detected on Earth and maybe on other bodies of the Solar System (e. g. Mars). Extreme environments on planets and moons are discussed as possible habitats for extraterrestrial life forms.

Microbiology

In this part of the course the students will discover the world of extremophilic microorganisms. Many of them belong to the domain of archaea. Archaea have been believed to belong to bacteria, however they differ largely regarding their genes, metabolism and biochemistry. The students will learn methods to cultivate hyperthermophilic and anaerobic microorganisms.

Detailed content

Dept. of Bioinorganic Chemistry

Lecture: Abiotic Molecular Evolution and Biosignatures

Chemical evolution in extreme environments

·         Molecules from space

·         Moons, asteroids, comets

·         Early Earth: Volcanic islands, Miller experiments, protometabolism, origin of life

·         Planet Mars: Space missions, life on Mars, search for biosignatures, lithopanspermia

Biosignatures and life in space

·         Astrobiology

·         Habitability

·         Exoplanets

·         Extremophile organisms

·         Traces of life: Fossils, molecules, minerals

·         Experiments on the International Space Station

 

Institute of Physics &  Meterology:

Extreme weather

Microbiology

Lectures:

TBA

 

Practices:

TBA

Dept. Membrane Physiology

Lectures:

 

Introduction:                        What is an extreme environment?

Physics:                              Interaction of radiation with soft tissue

                                           Space, Time, Gravity

                                           Excitable media, Nonlinear Thermodynamics

Technology:                        Platforms for increased gravity (centrifuges)

                                           Platforms for microgravity (short term and log term)

                                           Propulsion technologies (rockets)

                                           Platforms for "simulated gravity" (clinostats, magnetic levitation, RPM)

Physiology:                         Sensing gravity

                                           The human inner ear

                                           The inner ear of fish

Gravitational Biology:         Otoliths of fish under variable gravity conditions

                                           Neuronal cells under variable gravity conditions

                                           Neurophysiology under microgravity

                                           Closed ecosystems/habitats (Eu:cropis)

 

Practices:

Gravitation:                         Centrifuge

                                           Fluorescence clinostat

                                           Mini drop tower

Other:                                 Biofeedback

                                           Cell culture

                                           Pharmacology (integration of substances into membranes)

                                           Self-organization and pattern formation

                                           Design of a microgravity experiment