2023 Arizona Astrobiology

Research Symposium

Symposium Program Booklet

Friday, April 21st to Saturday, April 22nd

Arizona State University

Tempe, AZ

In Person Meeting
 Organizing Committee:
Schuyler Borges, NAU
Donald Glaser, ASU/NASA Goddard
Aleisha Johnson, ASU/U of A
Jordyn Robare, ASU
Pilar Vergeli, ASU
Chanel Vidal, ASU
Jon Lima-Zaloumis, ASU

Funding:
ASU Graduate & Professional Student Association
ASU School of Earth & Space Exploration
ASU School of Molecular Sciences

Website:
https://azastrobio23.weebly.com/

2
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Symposium Details......................................................................4
Code of Conduct..........................................................................6
Resources.................................................................................... 9
Plenary Speaker (Friday, April 21st)........................................ 10
Invited Speakers (Saturday, April 22nd).................................. 11
Meeting Schedule...................................................................... 14
Submitted Oral Session Abstracts: Session I.........................15
Submitted Oral Session Abstracts: Session II........................17
Submitted Poster Session Abstracts.......................................19

3
 Symposium Details

Virtual Information:
All oral presentations will be available to attend virtually. Registration for online
attendance can be found here: https://bit.ly/AZAstroBio23Webinar. Once registered, you
will receive a link for all oral presentations.

In Person Information:
For those attending in person, all symposium events will take place on the ASU Tempe
campus in building ISTB4 (781 S Terrace Rd, Tempe). Oral presentations will be in
Room 240, poster presentations and social events will be in the 3rd floor Crater Carpet,
and Friday Focus Groups will be in the 2nd floor Teal Room.

Parking on campus is $16/day (Parking Garage in image below). Free parking can be
found along 8th Street and at the Dorsey/Apache park and ride (~12 min walk).

4
Discord Information:
Announcements and communication during the symposium will take place in our
Discord server.
If you do not have the Discord app on your phone, you can download it for apple and
and android phones here: https://discord.com/download. A tutorial for downloading
Discord on your phone is also available here:
DiscordApp.com : How To Download Discord App For Free
Once you have downloaded the Discord app, you can join our server by clicking on this
link and logging into your account: https://discord.gg/a4zs3YTuc2
If you do not know how to use Discord, here is a tutorial about the basics:
How to Use Discord - Beginner's Guide

Please reach out to Jon Lima-Zaloumis (jzaloumi@asu.edu) if you have any

Discord-related questions.

5
Code of Conduct

This symposium is open to all and participation is predicated on following our community
agreements. Any misconduct or violation of these community agreements will result in removal
from the symposium and may involve a report to your home institution. These community
agreements apply to engagement in person, virtually, in Discord, and in social media.

We have two community care facilitators for this symposium: Schuyler Borges and Pilar Vergeli.
If you are targeted by or observe discrimination, please communicate the issue to either of them
if you’re looking for support.

Community Agreements:
1. We are responsible for creating and promoting safe environments for learning. These
environments honor privacy and confidentiality and are characterized by integrity,
respect, equity, trustworthiness, and transparency.
2. We will treat others with courtesy, respect, and fairness.
3. We will foster an inclusive environment by challenging behavior or culture that is
traditionally exclusive.
4. We will act with honesty and hold ourselves and our community accountable for our
actions.
5. We will acknowledge the names and roles of those who have aided in our work and
made contributions to activities, publications, and achievements.
6. We will refrain from personally critical comments directed at each other, and we will
clearly distinguish professional comments from opinions.
7. We are dedicated to learning from each other, and we will listen to each other in curious,
genuine ways that promote understanding and transformation.
8. We will ask open-ended questions in conversations of conflict instead of trying to assert
an opinion or viewpoint, and we will not interrupt or speak over each other.
9. We will recognize our privilege or power within spaces and use that power to center
marginalized voices.
10. Community accountability:
a. We will be aware of our surroundings and social situations.
b. If a situation makes someone uncomfortable, or it looks like someone is being
targeted, we will recognize that this is a problem and we will be part of a solution
to help.
c. We will take action to diffuse the situation while staying safe (e.g., checking in
with the targeted individual(s), recruiting help from friends, diffusing the situation
by distracting those causing harm, telling symposium leadership what is
happening).
d. If we are uncertain if there is a problem, we will check in with the targeted
individual(s) to see if they are okay or need help.
e. If we feel comfortable and recognize that there is an issue, we will call out the
inappropriate behavior.

6
Misconduct:
1. Title IX Violation
a. The collective term used for incidents involving discrimination, harassment,
sexual harassment, sexual violence, stalking, dating violence, domestic violence,
and/or retaliation.
2. Discrimination
a. Whether intentional or not, unequal or unfair treatment as it relates to
marginalized identities, including but not limited to:
i. Race
ii. Gender
iii. Sexual orientation
iv. Ability
v. Religion
vi. Age
vii. National origin
viii. Documentation status
ix. Education
3. Harassment
a. Unwanted actions, words, or physical conduct, which may include epithets, slurs,
or negative stereotyping based on identity. Harassment often makes the
receiving person feel uncomfortable or unsafe and has the purpose or effect of
violating, marginalizing, and interfering with an individual, their dignity, or their
work performance, creating an intimidating, threatening, hostile, degrading,
humiliating, or offensive environment.
b. Harassment can also include microaggressions, which are everyday verbal,
nonverbal, and environmental slights, snubs, or insults which communicate
hostile, derogatory, or negative messages to target persons based on their
marginalized identity. Microaggressions are less overt and may also occur in
well-intentioned individuals who are unaware that they have engaged in an
offensive act or made an offensive statement.
4. Violence
a. Sexual
b. Physical
c. Verbal
d. Emotional
5. Stalking
a. Repeatedly following, harassing, threatening, or intimidating another person via
phone, mail, electronic communication, or social media.
6. Bullying
a. The repeated use of force, threat, or coercion to abuse, intimidate, or
purposefully dominate others based on a real or perceived power imbalance.
These actions can include abusive criticism, humiliation, the spreading of rumors,
physical and verbal attacks, isolation, undermining, and exclusion of individuals
through any means.

7
 7. Retaliation
a. Adverse employment, academic consequences, or other actions against anyone
reporting a violation of this policy.

Support for those affected by misconduct:

1. If you are targeted or observe discrimination at the symposium (in person or virtual) you
can communicate it to one of the community care facilitators: Schuyler Borges and Pilar
Vergeli. You can also let any of the organizing committee members know if you feel
comfortable doing so.
a. We will have a private conversation removed from the symposium spaces (both
in person and virtually).
b. We will listen, validate, and affirm you and your experience, and if you are not the
person who was harmed, we will ask you if the person who was harmed would
also like to receive our support.
c. We will ask if the person who was harmed would like the person who did the
harm to be held accountable, and if so, what that would look like.
d. We will not speak to or act directly with the person who did the harm without
explicit consent from the person who was harmed.
2. We recognize that not everyone is protected if they report their experience. So, if you
would like to report misconduct anonymously, please fill out this google form:
https://forms.gle/m5cPdQQye8STn8s89
a. The information provided in this report will not be disseminated and access to the
form will be limited to the community care facilitators.
b. Any personal information provided will be kept confidential and the person who
did the harm will not be approached without explicit consent from the person who
was targeted.
c. All information reported will be deleted upon completion of the symposium.
3. For those affected by the above misconduct, please seek affirmation and support from
your community and those you can trust.
a. We know communicating about experiences is not an option for everyone and
another way to receive support is through already established relationships with
close friends and/or (chosen) family.

8
Resources
If you are in need of help at any point during the symposium, please refer to the following
resources.
1. Don’t Call the Police Phoenix Resources
a. Alternatives to calling the police and resources for supporting the immediate
needs of people in crisis in AZ
2. Crisis Response Network
a. 24/7 AZ crisis call, text, and online chat lines as well as warm line interactions
with crisis intervention specialists
b. Mobile crisis dispatchers available to provide immediate in person assistance if
necessary
3. La Frontera Arizona
a. 24/7 AZ crisis, sexual assault, and veteran hotline
b. Mobile Crisis Team is available to provide face to face services in Tempe if
immediate assistance is necessary
4. StrongHearts Native Helpline
a. 24/7 confidential and anonymous culturally-appropriate domestic and sexual
violence call or online chat helpline for Native Americans
5. 988 Suicide & Crisis Hotline
a. 24/7 national call or text crisis line with resources for specific marginalized
identities
6. THRIVE Lifeline
a. 24/7 international text-based crisis line staffed by and for people with
marginalized identities in STEMM
7. Direct Communication in Conflict
a. How to have an effective conversation when in conflict with another person.

9
 Plenary Speaker (Friday, April 21st)

Prof. Hilairy Hartnett, ASU

Astrobiology @ASU: from ‘follow the water’ to Ocean Worlds

Bio: Hilairy Hartnett (she/her) has joint appointments in the School of Earth and Space
Exploration and the School of Molecular Sciences. She earned an A.B. degree in
chemistry from Vassar College in 1990, and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in oceanography
from the University of Washington. After postdoctoral work at Rutgers University,
working in river and estuarine systems, she joined ASU in 2003. Her current research
interests are in the areas of 1) biogeochemistry, specifically how geochemical, microbial,
and anthropogenic processes affect elemental cycles in modern and
paleo-environments, 2) Astrobiology and organic geochemistry, particularly how organic
reactions are influenced by minerals under hydrothermal conditions and their
implications for habitability, and 3) urban ecology and anthropocene science.

10
 Invited Speakers (Saturday, April 22nd)

Dr. Erica Barlow (she/her), Pennsylvania State University

Ancient fossils and their role in Astrobiology

Abstract: Precambrian fossils are important biological and environmental archives.

They provide us with insight into the type and diversity of life present on the early Earth,
as well as the nature of inhabited environments through time. These insights enable us
to better understand the evolution of life on our planet, and to know what to look for in
the search for life elsewhere. In this talk, I will give an overview of the type of data we
can gather from ancient fossils (including how we can tell they are fossils in the first
place!), and I will share some implications for the search for fossilized life elsewhere.

Bio: Erica is a NASA Postdoctoral Program Fellow based at Penn State University,
working with Prof. Chris House and the Laboratory for Agnostic Biosignatures team.
She is a graduate of the Australian Centre for Astrobiology at the University of New
South Wales, Sydney, where she received a BEnvSc in Earth Science in 2015, and a
Ph.D. in Geology in 2019. Erica specializes in identifying and characterizing ancient
fossils, specifically, stromatolites (macroscopic structures built by communities of
microorganisms) and microfossils (cellularly-preserved remains of microorganisms). Her
current Postdoc research utilizes field observations paired with multiple, in situ
geochemical techniques to explore the concept of past agnostic biosignatures (aka
universal signs of life in rocks). Erica’s research provides insight into the type and
diversity of life present early on in Earth's history, and contributes to the search for life
elsewhere in improving our ability to detect fossilized life from an agnostic, or more
universal, perspective.

11
 Prof. Jeb Bevers, Yavapai College

History of Mars in Science and Fiction

Bio: Jeb Bevers enjoys teaching biology courses and mentoring undergraduate
research at Yavapai College in Arizona. Professor Bevers’ doctoral research focused
on the microevolution and recolonization of pikas (Ochotona princeps) on the
volcanically impacted landscape of Mount St. Helens in Washington state. A master’s
degree in biology from Portland State University was on the biogeography of Tasmanian
mammals. In 2011 Professor Bevers instructed a course in Ecology, Conservation, and
Interactive Educational Outreach to grade schools in Asunción, Paraguay at the
Universidad Católica under a Fulbright scholar grant. Current research areas include
fossil surveys and a small museum collection from three Neogene terrestrial sites in
Arizona and 19th century biology and paleontology. His sabbatical activities in 2022
included research on Alfred Russel Wallace’s annotated book collection held at the
Linnean Society of London and at the Centre for Research Collections at the University
of Edinburgh.

12
 Dr. Kirt Robinson, ASU

Bio: Kirt has a background in organic chemistry and geochemistry and his research
interests include the exploration of ocean worlds in our solar system and beyond,
investigating possible prebiotic chemical reactions, improving biosignature detection
strategies, and developing novel methods for green chemistry. His main work consists
of conducting specialized hydrothermal organic geochemistry chemistry experiments
and incorporating thermodynamic and kinetic reaction modeling, as well as collecting
and analyzing environmental samples to ground truth those models.

He is currently a postdoctoral scholar in the Beyond Center at Arizona State University

working with Hilairy Hartnett and Sara Walker. His previous position was as a NASA
Astrobiology postdoctoral fellow at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution working with
Jeff Seewald.

13
 Meeting Schedule
FRIDAY (April 21st, 2023)
2:30 - 4:30 pm Teal Room Focus Groups
4:30 - 5:30 pm Room 240 Plenary Speaker: Hilary Hartnett
5:30 - 7:00 pm Teal Room Social
SATURDAY (April 22nd, 2023)
8:00 - 9:00 am Second Floor Lobby Coffee / Breakfast
9:00 - 10:15 am - Room 240 - Oral Session I
9:00 - 9:15 am Invited Speaker: Jeb Bevers Professor of Biology at Yavapai College
9:15 - 9:30 am Invited Speaker: Erica Barlow NASA NPP Fellow at Penn State University
9:30 - 9:45 am Estelle Janin & Gage Siebert Graduate Students at ASU
9:45 - 10:00 am Richard McCormick Undergraduate at NAU
10:00 - 10:15 am Zhen Holmes Graduate Student at ASU
10:15 - 11:30 am - Crater Carpet - Poster Session
Christian Swonger Undergraduate at ASU
Zhen Holmes Graduate Student at ASU
Stefan Mercado Undergraduate at ASU
Malik Bossett Undergraduate at NAU
Sonakshi Sharma Undergraduate at ASU
11:30 - 12:30 pm Crater Carpet Lunch
12:30 - 2:00 pm - Room 240 - Oral Session II
12:30 - 12:45 pm Invited Speaker: Kirt Robinson Postdoc at ASU
12:45 - 1:00 pm Nuri Park Graduate Student at ASU
1:00 - 1:15 pm Natalie Jones Graduate Student at NAU
1:15 - 1:30 pm Kathryn Rico Postdoc at ASU
1:30 - 1:45 pm Donny Glaser NASA NPP Fellow at NASA GISS
1:45 - 2:00 pm Room 240 Concluding Remarks
2:00 - 3:00 pm Crater Carpet Social / Dessert

14
 Submitted Oral Session Abstracts: Session I

Assembly Theory: why and how it will impact Astrobiology

Estelle Janin & Gage Siebert, Graduate Students at ASU

Recently developed through a collaboration between Arizona State University and the
University of Glasgow, Assembly Theory provides a unique approach on ubiquitous concepts
such as complexity, information, selection and evolution. The complexity of an individual object
can be quantified through its Assembly Index, which corresponds to the minimal number of
steps needed to construct the object from fundamental building blocks. In addition, the
existence of many copies of any complex object implies that the information needed to construct
this object has been stored – with powerful implications for the emergence of selection and
evolution in the system considered.
Our presentation will cover the basic principles of this new theory, and will describe
some of the exciting contexts in which it has been and is being applied. This includes assessing
the biogenicity of chemical compounds, studying graphical representations of planetary
atmospheres to detect the presence of a biosphere, or determining the complexity of strings to
analyze behavior. These applications hold immense potential for astrobiology and biosignature
science, and represent more generalizable and agnostic ways to detect life and uncover its
universal properties.

Machine Learning Models for Hyperspectral Remote Sensing Big Data Analytics in the
Study of Planet Earth and Other Planets
Richard McCormick, Undergraduate at NAU

Machine learning has enormous potential in hyperspectral remote sensing for precision
agriculture and astrobiology research. Hyperspectral remote sensing enables the analysis of
crops at higher spectral resolutions than conventional multispectral remote sensing, allowing for
greater specificity in crop characterization. My research focuses on the application of machine
learning, specifically deep learning and convolutional neural networks, to optimize crop yields
and reduce production costs by analyzing hyperspectral images of crop fields. By training these
models on hyperspectral data, I achieved high accuracy rates in identifying specific crop types,
which has important implications for global food security and environmental sustainability.
Furthermore, machine learning in hyperspectral remote sensing can be applied in
astrobiology research, such as detection of mineral compositions that may indicate life beyond
Earth by analyzing data from planetary remote sensing sensors. I will demonstrate the potential
of machine learning in both precision agriculture and astrobiology research and highlight its
broader applicability in hyperspectral remote sensing and related fields. By leveraging the power
of machine learning, researchers and practitioners can optimize processes, identify patterns,
and make more informed decisions.
My presentation aims to inspire others to explore the potential of machine learning in
hyperspectral remote sensing and beyond, and to emphasize its crucial role in addressing
global challenges related to food security and environmental sustainability.

15
 Thermodynamic Insights for Amino Acid Forming Pathways in a Planetary Context
Zhen Holmes, Graduate Student at ASU

Amino acids are vital for life as we know it on Earth, and their presence in meteorites
indicates an abiotic synthesis. How amino acids form in a planetary context is of interest to the
origins of life here and elsewhere. One way to approach this problem is from a thermodynamic
perspective. Surveying potential reaction pathways from an energetic standpoint is useful for
designing experiments, exploring conditions not easily recreated in the lab, and insightful for
examining real-world systems. In this study, we follow the fate of a two-carbon system,
beginning with ethane. We have written a path of reactions through to the formation of glycine,
the simplest amino acid. Using geochemical modeling tools in the Water, Organic, Rock,
Microbe (WORM) portal (https://worm-portal.asu.edu/), we can view reaction properties for each
step in the reaction sequence. Additionally, we can combine reactions to view the equilibrium
state of the system overall. Furthermore, parameters such as temperature, pressure, redox
state, and reactant abundance are easily adjustable, thus allowing scrutiny in 6 dimensions.
Using these tools provides insight into amino acid formation and will inform organic experiments
and improve our understanding of amino acids in realistic planetary systems.

16
 Submitted Oral Session Abstracts: Session II
Metals and Microbes and Redox, Oh My!
Kathryn Rico, Postdoc at ASU

The geochemistry of early Earth environments allows us to explore the inextricable link
between the gradual accumulation of oxygen in the atmosphere and the evolution of life. Trace
metals are one geochemical tool used to reconstruct paleoenvironmental chemistry throughout
Earth’s history. However, there are few studies of trace metal biogeochemistry in modern anoxic
systems without appreciable sulfide (e.g., Fe-rich or ‘ferruginous’ environments), such as those
that dominated Earth’s early oceans, and that could be analogous to waters on other planetary
bodies. Therefore, developing a framework for trace metal cycling in modern anoxic systems
helps us to refine interpretations of trace metals in Earth’s geologic record, and consider trace
metal biogeochemistry on habitable worlds. This work explores the trace metal cycling in the
waters of Brownie Lake, MN, a ferruginous meromictic lake considered an analogue for Earth’s
early oceans. With ongoing work exploring Brownie Lake’s biosphere and redox chemistry, it is
an ideal system to study trace metal cycling and interpret these data in the context of known
biogeochemistry. Preliminary results demonstrate that some trace metals (Ni, Cu, Zn) are
associated with photosynthetic activity in surficial waters, while other trace metals (V, Cr) are
controlled by Fe availability in deeper waters. Future work will consider trace metal abundance
of sediments and porewaters, as well as explore Mo isotope systematics in the water column,
particulate matter, and sediments.

Mineral Composition as a Factor of Habitability in Hyperarid Environments

Donald Glaser, Postdoc at NASA GISS

Water vapor adsorption (WVA) is an important mechanism for water input to unsaturated
soils; particularly in hyperarid environments where WVA is a source of soil moisture equal to or
greater than the input from rain. Current models of adsorbed water content rely on surface area
(or clay content), as well as temperature and relative humidity (or matric potential). However, we
show that adsorbed water content is also sensitive to the mineral composition of the adsorbant
(i.e., soil particle). We developed an empirical model based on a series of 160 water vapor
adsorption experiments using pure minerals at two surface areas, across a range of
temperature and relative humidity conditions. The results of our work provide evidence that
minerals have different equilibrium adsorbed water content when all other variables (i.e.,
temperature, relative humidity, and surface area) are fixed. We show that the adsorbed water
content of complex natural soils can be modeled as a linear combination (by mass) of the
adsorbed water content of the five described minerals. Our model estimates agree with
measured adsorbed water contents to within a factor of five, and are often much better. This
work suggests soil mineral composition plays an as-yet-undescribed role in the soil water
content of arid and hyperarid soils and sets the stage for future estimates of WVA in planetary
environments based solely on remotely sensed observables (i.e., temperature, relative humidity,
grain size, and mineral composition).

17
 Water-Rock Interactions on Icy Moons: The Influence of Differentiation
Nuri Park, Graduate Student at ASU

Environments where water is in physical contact with rocks initiate water-rock interactions
that can host life (e.g., hydrothermal systems). Recent space exploration suggests the existence of
liquid water on Icy Moons in the Solar System, implying that life-hosting environments may not be
limited to the Earth. The survival and growth of hydrothermal microbial communities depend on the
chemistry of the system, which can be explored through geochemical modeling of the consequences
of water-rock interactions. Those consequences depend on the composition of the rocks, which are
unknown on Icy Moons. Meteorites, the remnants of planetesimals that may have contributed to the
formation of these bodies, can be used to constrain rock compositions on Icy Moons. The internal
structures of some Icy Moons (Europa and Enceladus) sketched by gravity measurements suggest
that these bodies are differentiated. Nevertheless, most models of Icy Moons use undifferentiated
meteorite compositions. Including meteorites that have gone through geologic processes can
provide constraints on the potential habitability of Icy Moon systems. Here, we present >700
meteorite-water interactions that include differentiated and undifferentiated meteorites using
geochemical modeling to explore how geologic processes can affect the results of water-rock
interactions. We find that the differentiation process significantly impacts the habitability-relevant
chemistry of water-rock interaction. For example, our models show that differentiated meteorites can
yield fluids that are 2-3 orders of magnitude higher in pH and H2 (aq) than undifferentiated
meteorites.

Do microorganisms shape landscapes? Investigating the abundance, distribution, and

cohesive strength of EPS in Mars analog environments
Natalie Jones, Graduate Student at NAU

Sticky biopolymers known as extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) are produced

ubiquitously on Earth’s surface by common microorganisms. EPS plays an important role in
sediment erosion reduction, but the exact effect is difficult to quantify due to the challenges of
laboratory replication, and because EPS abundance and distribution is poorly characterized.
Previous studies indicate that EPS abundance is unlikely to be the primary factor affecting
larger-scale geomorphic processes such as meandering river formation on Earth. However, EPS
could have an even greater impact on Mars because they preferentially adhere to the surfaces of
clays and iron oxides, and because the reduced gravity means that EPS would have greater
cohesive strength relative to a given grain size. This study builds upon previous research by
sampling sediment in a variety of Mars analog environments. I will analyze these samples for EPS
content, sediment grain size, and mineralogy. I will then conduct laboratory experiments, informed by
my field measurements, to determine the erosional properties of realistic Mars-like EPS-bound
sediment mixtures. I hypothesize that EPS abundance in the field will positively correlate with the
presence of clays, iron oxides, and smaller grain sizes. I also hypothesize that the cohesive strength
of EPS in the lab will positively correlate with these trends. If true, then we can infer that EPS (if ever
present) would have caused an even greater geomorphic effect on Mars than on Earth, which could
help inform the search for evidence of past life on Mars.

18
 Submitted Poster Session Abstracts

IDP Identification: Creating a Pipeline to Predict IDPs

Christian Swonger, Undergraduate at ASU

IDPs are proteins that do not have a native structure as such they have no fixed
conformation. There are current algorithms such as metapredict, ParSe, and PONDR which are
currently used to predict protein disorder. In additional AI systems such as Alphafold are
currently being used to predict the 3D structure of proteins. The following research looks into
why the current algorithms may disagree on the percentage of disorder and ways in which to
improve these predictors by looking into certain factors such as hydrophobicity. Data on protein
disorder is currently being conducted in order to gather a training set of IDPs for the pipeline.
The end goal is to create an algorithm that can more accurately predict protein disorder.

Hunting for Exoplanets with TESS and BATMAN

Malik Bossett, Undergraduate at NAU

Worlds orbiting other stars, exoplanets, are currently being discovered at a staggering
rate. We are developing a new tool to search for the hidden signatures of planets orbiting other
stars to aid these efforts. These worlds are the target of NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey
Satellite (TESS), a state-of-the-art space telescope that systematically scans the entire sky,
looking at hundreds of thousands of stars for micro-eclipses caused when a world transits
across the disk of a distant star. Our new tool uses models of these transits, created using
BAsic Transit Model cAlculatioN (BATMAN), and automatically compares them with light from
stars observed by TESS and reports when it finds a match. We present preliminary results that
confirm detections of known exoplanets using the tool and discuss ideas for applying our model
to a larger dataset of TESS observations. We believe the tool will help discover more exoplanets
with telescopes such as the James Webb Telescope, aid in the search for life outside the solar
system and potentially find new worlds that can be habitable for humans in the future.

19
 A.L.I.E.N: Assembled Life Inside an Expanding Nature
Sonakshi Sharma, Undergraduate at ASU

Assembly theory as a way of defining the life/nonlife boundary has been established for
molecules, but not yet for crystal structures. I have written an assembly algorithm that calculates
the complexity of biotic and abiotic minerals in order to constrain the quantitative fundamentals
of "life". Is there a particular assembly threshold that separates minerals generated biotically
from minerals generated abiotically?

Building the Habulator; Peering Beneath the Surfaces of Icy Moons with the Aid of
Organic Chemistry
Stefan Mercado, Undergraduate at ASU

Vast seas and internal heat make icy moons tantalizing places to search for habitability
in the solar system, but their namesake icy shells impede exploration. Volatile organic
compounds wafting from interiors could ameliorate ignorance of chemical and geological activity
contributing to habitability. Missions in the coming decades, such as NASA’s Europa Clipper,
and ESA’s Juice will be equipped with instruments capable of detecting volatile organics. How
then do we utilize organic chemistry to inform subsurface geology? Here we discuss the
construction of just such a tool. Dubbed the Habulator, this program employs thermodynamic
data for organics to inform extrapolations for reactions across parameter space. Take for
instance the simple alcohol ethanol reaction. It can dehydrate to form ethene, with a one-to-one
ratio that can be correlated with temperature. Alternately, two molecules of ethanol can combine
to make diethyl ether, which is also temperature dependent. In practice, concentrations obtained
from fly-bys can be imported into the Habulator, which will convert concentrations to ratios,
evaluate the reaction quotient, and input the value into a univariant curve to determine
temperature and pressure conditions at which the reaction equilibrates. It can also sort
concentrations into equilibrium and non-equilibrium lists. This is useful because equilibrium
reactions can help characterize subsurface conditions, while nonequilibrium ratios can indicate
potential energy sources that could support life. Tools allowing for use of organic chemistry
knowledge will prepare us to make intelligent inferences about subsurface conditions as data
returns to Earth from icy moons in the coming decades.

20