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GEOBIOLOGY 2003 Offered by the Sponsored by the Open to students and researchers at the graduate, June 12-July 25, 2003
The course offers intensive interactions between the fields of biology and earth sciences on an advanced level. Over a period of six weeks, the participants will be exposed to an in-depth treatment of how biology interacts with the environment and how these interactions have shaped the evolution of the earth. Participants will get hands-on experience on modern research methods in geobiology and participate in on-site research groups solving current questions relevant to the field.
The 2003 course will open with two days of lectures in the Los Angeles area followed by a field trip to Yellowstone National Park and southern Montana. There we will investigate the role of microbes in carbonate and siliceous mineral precipitation within Yellowstone hot springs. Other activities on this trip will include the study of Paleozoic and Pre-Cambrian fossils and fossil-like structures. The week will culminate with a symposium, open to the public, to be held in Bozeman, Montana. Following the field trip, the course will continue at the USC Wrigley Institute's Wrigley Marine Science Center on Catalina Island (approximately 20 miles off the coast of Los Angeles). Course work will include daily lectures, lab work, independent research, introduction to novel instrumentation, and 2 additional symposia, which are also open to the public. The course culminates with student project presentations.
Understanding geobiology will open new insights into the history of life on earth and possibly suggest approaches to discovering life on other planets. The purpose of the course is to provide an overview of the many facets of the exciting field of geobiology by bringing together various aspects of a number of environmental sciences. Since a major goal of the course is to initiate contacts between scientific disciplines which are not usually combined, it encourages a rapprochement between various areas of microbiology, geochemistry, earth systems sciences and geology and treats them with an evolutionary outlook. It encourages interactions between students and instructors in a uniquely informal setting.
The course provides interdisciplinary training for a new generation of scientists. It is our expectation that the gathering of biologists, geochemists and geologists will promote the development of collaborations between established investigators and young scientists to solve important problems in geobiology. The development of a common "geobiological language" that the course will facilitate is essential for progress in this field at all levels. Our most important goal is to train students to identify geobiological topics of interest, pose challenging research questions and use state-of-the-art methodologies and instrumentation.
The lectures delivered in the course come from a variety of instructors, permanent and visiting faculty, and cover a broad range of topics. Some lectures will illustrate the importance of microbes as living chemical agents and emphasize the roles microbes play in global geochemical cycles, others will address chemical systems on the early earth and again others will emphasize the diversity of microbial genomes which harbor the majority of the geophysiological "inventions" made in the course of evolution. There will be lectures on mineralogy, sediment geochemistry, earth and atmospheric evolution which will compliment the lectures dealing with the microbial world. Understanding life processes promises to provide a better awareness of the microbial biosphere, which is the earth's life support system. Preparatory discussions, computer modeling and exercises on particular course subjects are offered during the course as requested by the participants and research themes will be discussed during the three symposia. Field trips will give us the opportunity to point out characteristic microbial habitats, collect microbes and try to enrich and isolate them in the laboratory. Chemical and physical measurements in situ and analyses of environmental samples employing in vitro techniques will be applied to define environmental determinants in particular habitats.
The laboratory work is investigative, i.e., we would like to discover new processes and microbes and understand their interactions and activities. Research themes are designed to educate students about current techniques in geobiology and to encourage independent research. The students will carry out investigations in groups or individually with faculty assistance and independently. This year's course topics will include: Introduction to Geology, Microbiology, Geochemistry. June 12-13.
The course requires complete student participation in all aspects of the program for the full duration of the course. Proficiency in the English language is essential. Course work begins early in the morning and may often run late into the evening. Although there will be little time for activities other than course work, past experience has shown that students find time to enjoy the fascinating underwater world which is easily accessible at the Wrigley Marine Science Center. The intensity of the course work and the sharing of common experiences encourage long-lasting friendships and collaborations among the participants.
Three symposia are planned for the 2003 Geobiology Course which will introduce the participants to frontier research carried out by established investigators who will be invited from all over the world. The presentations will inspire interest in research with geobiological perspectives; research which might in turn provide new solutions to current geobiological problems. The contributions at the symposia will also broaden the often narrow focus of the every-day research work and offer students and established investigators new approaches to answering geobiological questions. There will be ample time for discussions during and after each symposium. These day-long events are designed like mini Gordon Conferences, the informality of the setting inspires in-depth discussion between students, faculty and speakers. Geobiology 2003 Symposia: June 19 (Bozeman, Montana)
June 28 (Catalina Island, California) July 12 (Catalina Island, California)
WHAT IS EXPECTED FROM THE PARTICIPANTS? Students of the course are expected to:
DATES, LOCATIONS AND FACILITIES
COURSE ORGANIZERS AND INSTRUCTORS
Co-directors:
Course Coordinator: Instructors:
Student applications are accepted between January 1 and February 15, 2003. Prerequisites: Participants should be relatively experienced in their scientific field. Basic knowledge of chemistry and biology are prerequisites for successful participation. The course requires complete student participation in all aspects of the program for the full duration of the course. There will be a break during the 4th of July weekend. Language: The course will be taught in English. Proficiency in the English language is an essential prerequisite for participation. Student credit: Participants will receive a certificate of attendance. No credits are given for the course, however. Upon request, the organizers will certify the successful completion of the course, offer an opinion as to the credit value of the program, and suggest an appropriate grade if requested to do so. It is the student's responsibility to validate these credits at his or her home institution. Students may copy and distribute their certificates as necessary; institutions desiring authentication may contact the organizers. Insurance: Accident and health insurance are the responsibility of the participant. The organizers undertake no liability. Participants have to show proof of appropriate insurance coverage. Admission: The admission process for the course is competitive. A maximum of 20 participants are admitted on the basis of their academic or teaching records, demonstrated research and/or teaching interests and abilities, originality, recommendations and career goals as they are related to the course objectives. All applications are reviewed by the education committee. If necessary, selection between equally qualified participants will be made according to the time of arrival of the application. Notification of acceptance and further information will be sent to all applicants by the middle of March. The directors of this course will strive to select the best student applicants from a broad international setting. Costs and Financial Aid: Course costs (including food, lodging and the field trips) are covered through the generosity of the Agouron Institute. Participants are responsible for their travel to and from Los Angeles, California. Substantial travel awards are available; both international and domestic students are encouraged to apply. Application Procedure: Complete the application and forward it between January 1 and February 15, 2003 to the Admission Office of the Geobiology Course (see address below). Along with your application, please submit a two page CV and two letters of recommendation completed by a person, other than a faculty member of the course, who is able to evaluate your professional experience, your commitment to the field of the course, your scientific abilities (creativity, imagination, curiosity, initiative, skills) and your overall potential for success in applying the course contents in your professional career. Foreign participants will require a visitor visa for participation in this training program and they will have to sign a "health insurance memo of understanding." The necessary forms and a formal invitation letter needed for the visa application will be mailed to accepted applicants who will then have to apply for the visa through the US embassy in their country. Course Application: Send application Materials to:
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The course is comprised of morning lectures, afternoon laboratory work and colloquia in the evening. An important component of the course will be fieldwork carried out at nearby sites of interest to introduce the participants to microbial ecology, field geology and geochemistry as it happens in natural settings. At the course location we will emphasize the marine environment but not exclude other interesting microbial and geological systems available at various sites in the Southern California area.
