Mountain Views News          Saturday, December 11, 2010

12

THE WORLD AROUND YOU

 Mountain Views News Saturday, December 11, 2010 


Discovery of Arsenic-Based Life on Earth Could Widen Search for Extraterrestrials

Astrobiology research announced by NASA Dec. 2 may change our 
fundamental concept of what constitutes all known life on Earth—
and is causing astronomers to broaden their thought of what 
life elsewhere may be.

Researchers conducting tests in the harsh environment of 
Mono Lake in California have discovered the first known 
microorganism on Earth able to thrive and reproduce using 
the toxic chemical arsenic. The microorganism appears to 
substitute arsenic for phosphorus in its cell components.

“The definition of life has just expanded,” said Ed Weiler, 
NASA’s associate administrator for the Science Mission 
Directorate at the agency’s Headquarters in Washington. “As 
we pursue our efforts to seek signs of life in the solar system, 
we have to think more broadly, more diversely and consider 
life as we do not know it.”

If further research confirms the NASA team’s work, this 
finding of an alternative biochemistry makeup could alter 
biology textbooks and expand the scope of the search for life 
beyond Earth. The research is published in last week’s edition 
of Science Express.

Carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus and sulfur 
are the six basic building blocks of all known forms of life on 
Earth. Phosphorus is part of the chemical backbone of DNA 
and RNA, the structures that carry genetic instructions for 
life, and is considered an essential element for all living cells.

Phosphorus is a central component of the energy-carrying 
molecule in all cells (adenosine triphosphate) and also the 
phospholipids that form all cell membranes. Arsenic, which 
is chemically similar to phosphorus, is poisonous for most life 
on Earth. Arsenic disrupts metabolic pathways because chemically it 
behaves similarly to phosphate.

“We know that some microbes can breathe arsenic, but what we’ve 
found is a microbe doing something new—building parts of itself out 
of arsenic,” said Felisa Wolfe-Simon, a NASA astrobiology research 
fellow in residence at the U.S. Geological Survey in Menlo Park, Calif., 
and the research team’s lead scientist. “If something here on Earth 
can do something so unexpected, what else can life do that we haven’t 
seen yet?”

“Toxicity, I think, is in the eye of the beholder,” she added.

The newly discovered microbe, strain GFAJ-1, is a member of a 
common group of bacteria, the Gammaproteobacteria. In the 
laboratory, the researchers successfully grew microbes from the 
lake on a diet that was very lean on phosphorus, but included 
generous helpings of arsenic. When researchers removed 
the phosphorus and replaced it with arsenic, the microbes 
continued to grow. Subsequent analyses indicated that the 
arsenic was being used to produce the building blocks of new 
GFAJ-1 cells.

The key issue the researchers investigated was this: When 
the microbe was grown on arsenic, did the arsenic actually 
become incorporated into the organisms’ vital biochemical 
machinery, such as DNA, proteins and the cell membranes? 
A variety of sophisticated laboratory techniques were used to 
determine where the arsenic was being incorporated.

The team chose to explore Mono Lake because of its unusual 
chemistry, especially its high salinity, high alkalinity, and high 
levels of arsenic. This chemistry is in part a result of Mono 
Lake’s isolation from its sources of fresh water for the past 50 
years.

The results of this study could inform ongoing research in 
many areas, including the study of Earth’s evolution, organic 
chemistry, biogeochemical cycles, disease mitigation and 
Earth system research. 

What about the impact on astronomy? To date, more than 
500 planets have been found orbiting stars other than the 
Sun, and more are being announced every week. These 
possible habitats are being intensely studied to find conditions 
hospitable to life similar to our own. “The biggest impact the 
Mono Lake findings may have is to remove a bit of limiting 
prejudice from our thinking about life in the Universe,” said 
Laurance Doyle, who studies potential habitats for extraterrestrial life 
with the SETI Institute in Mountain View, Calif.

You can contact Bob Eklund at: b.eklund@MtnViewsNews.com.


Felisa Wolfe-Simon processing mud from Mono Lake to inoculate media 
to grow microbes on arsenic. Image Credit: Henry Bortman

Ask jai……

It would be really hard 
for anyone who even only 
occasionally glances at the news 
every now and then to not have 
heard about Wikileaks and its 
founder Julian Assange by now. 
Just in case you do happen to 
be one of the few people who 
haven’t heard of it by now, here’s 
the short version. Wikileaks 
is a website that has made 
its reputation by publishing 
information that comes to its attention by way 
of anonymous news sources and leaks. Although 
this may seem like a very peculiar way to run a 
so-called news organization one would have to 
take a good look at the types of news items that 
the Wikileaks website publishes. One of the 
sites biggest stories can be found on YouTube 
by searching for the video “Collateral Murder – 
Wikileaks – Iraq”. If you do choose to watch the 
17-minute video you will see US forces engaging 
a dozen people from an AC-130 gunship. As 
you might expect this type of thing happens 
frequently in a war zone. Wikileaks released this 
story in April 2010 and it proved quite tragic for 
the fact that a Reuters reporter friendly to US 
interests was killed in the attack and it proved 
embarrassing for the US war effort due to the 
accompanying soundtrack that featured the 
in-cockpit voice traffic as it occurred during 
the attack. This story would’ve never seen 
the light of day had it not been for Wikileaks. 
Supporters of the site and its mission argue that 
the mainstream media has become beholden to 
powerful corporate interests and that the news 
as it’s currently presented to the public and has 
become nothing more than corporate-sponsored 
PR and that the information needed by people in 
order to make sense of the world they live in is 
just not getting through. Opponents of Wikileaks 
have argued that the site and its mission pose a 
grave threat to national security and must be 
shut down at any cost and its founder severely 
punished for publishing sensitive information 
that has the potential to endanger US interests 
as well as those of governments around the 
globe. Actors on both sides of the Wikileaks 
argument have taken concrete steps in support 
of their position and are determined to either 
support or shut down Wikileaks. Mr. Assange is 
currently facing charges in Sweden that may or 
may not have been motivated by his activities 
for Wikileaks. An underground cyber-group 
named “Anonymous” has been staging cyber-
attacks against business and government entities 
currently pursuing Mr. Assange. Whatever the 
outcome of all of this high-stakes drama the news 
as we now know and (dis)trust it will never be the 
same. So….what side are you on?


Ask jai is a weekly column that will strive to honestly answer your job search questions 
relating to job searching techniques, networking skills, resume writing and interviewing. The 
employment situation is getting better, however, it is still a challenge finding were the jobs are 
located and how to get pass the “gate-keepers”. As an Executive Recruiter I was privy to working 
directly with Corporate Recruiters and understanding their process in selecting which 
candidates to interview and hire. I will candidly answer your questions, possibly bluntly answering 
you questions, but I will be totally honest. My objective is to help you achieve your 
employment goal.

PICK A SIDE

Q: My boyfriend has been unemployed for 5 months. He is very depressed about the job market 
and his future at finding employment. He only finds and applies for jobs on-line. I am trying to 
encourage him to start networking and attending holiday parties and mixers this December. He 
told me that December is a very slow month for employment and employers do not hire during 
the holiday time. He feels attending these events is a waste of his time. We are getting invitations 
to a lot of holiday parties and mixers. I think he or we should attend every event. What do you 
think he should do? Zoe

Dear Zoe:

It is a myth that employers do not screen, interview or hire at this time of the year. Employers in 
fact do hire during the holiday season. Anxious employers use the last month of the year to meet 
their budget and head-count. Head-count is the number of employees that employers and their 
departments projected to have on their payroll by year-end. If they do not meet their head-count, 
the budgets and number of employees are usually reduced for the following year. 

Sorry to say, most job seekers feel the same way your boy friend does about looking for employment 
during the month of December. Therefore, I encourage job seekers to become more aggressive 
at this time because their competition is taking a break. This is not the time for your boy friend 
to stop seeking employment, feel he is wasting his time or feel ashamed that he is unemployed. 
He is one in a million looking for a job. He should accept all invitations and attend every holiday 
event possible this month. December is a great month to meet and connect with new people, 
former co-workers, friends and family. I find that people are more open during the Holiday 
Season to helping others. It is appropriate and acceptable to use these events as an opportunity 
to let people know that you are seeking employment. Your boyfriend should take advantage of 
holiday parties by introducing himself and developing a network of contacts. I suggest he create 
a personal business card that includes his name and contact information to hand out at these 
events. He should initiate the conversation by introducing himself and asking the other person 
about their profession or line of work. This will open it up the conversation for him to discuss 
his employment status, describe his professional background, what type of work he is looking 
for, and ask them to contact him if they should hear of any positions. He should get their contact 
information and in return offer his assistance to them. Continue to encourage your boyfriend 
to socialize, attend parties and mixer, and to network for job opportunities. Your boyfriend is 
fortunate you are supporting and encouraging him. Family and friends are a key element to job 
seekers staying focus and on track. Tis the season to help one another. 

Everything you ever wanted to know about how to find a job…but didn’t know who to ask. ASK jai. 
Send your questions to: jai@resumeandcareerservices.com 

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THE ART OF REGIFTING 

Regifting --you know you’re 
guilty of it, or you’ve been the 
victim, or probably both at 
different times. Somewhere 
in your holiday history you 
suspected the sweater in 
primary colors your cousin gave 
you was originally a gift from her second graders. 
Or maybe that the 
Chocolate Barge 
from your aunt was 
something a client 
gave her. Maybe 
you’ve never regifted 
anything, and if that’s 
the case, I tip my hat 
to you. When we 
receive something we 
don’t need or want, 
our first instinct is to 
toss it along like a hot 
potato.

Outside of the heartfelt presents exchanged among 
loved ones and dear friends, so much of our gift 
giving is merely obligatory gestures we perform 
like automatons to the dictates of the calendar. It 
is the thought that counts, and I’m honestly just as 
happy with a greeting card as I am with a Starbucks 
card. I wish we could all simply circulate sincere 
notes of thanks to the people we appreciate. Even 
when a harmonious balance like this exists, some 
well-intentioned person has to go and up the ante 
by giving something tangible. This necessitates 
that the recipient respond in kind, unless they want 
to come off as a schmo. 

Although inherently tacky, regifting makes a lot 
of sense. Especially in this economy, if you’ve 
been dealt a regiftable present (chocolates, bath 
products, coffee/tea collections) it’s very tempting 
to save a buck by utilizing this item to fulfill your 
gesture to someone else. 

So, regifting is sometimes allowable, but there are 
ground rules you need to follow. First, never regift 
something from someone you’re deeply close to 
(If you need to hear this, you’re beyond grasping 
its meaning). It’s okay to pass along ceramic 
snowmen figurines from the coworker in another 
department to your neighbor down the block. It’s 
not okay to regift anything someone made for you 
personally. You’d look stupid trying to pawn off a 
glass mug engraved with “To my friend, Wendy” or 
hand knit mittens bearing your initials. 

Second, never regift in 
the same context. For 
example, if a coworker 
gives you something, 
don’t turn around 
and give it to another 
coworker! The first 
thing she’ll probably say 
is “Gee, Gloria just gave 
me Bath & Body Works 
lotion, too! I guess 
great minds thinks 
alike!” Instead, regift 
your soulless lotion to a 
distant relative or marginal acquaintance. 

 Gift cards are the ultimate regiftable gift. How 
much more impersonal can you get? I remember 
having lunch around the holidays with a girl I 
didn’t know very well. When we opened our gift 
bags we realized we exchanged gift cards of the 
same denomination for different stores. I felt like 
laughing and saying, “Tell you what, you keep your 
20 bucks and I’ll keep mine!” 

The most honorable ways of dealing with 
unwanted regiftable items are to donate them to 
a charity or leave them in the break room at work 
(as long as the gifts weren’t from a coworker). If 
you do regift, it’s polite to provide a disclaimer as 
you offer the recycled item to it’s next recipient. 
“Someone at work gave this to me and I really 
have no use for it. If you don’t want it I totally 
understand!” Of course you can always keep your 
regiftable gifts. But if you do this consistently, 
you might run into a situation I addressed in an 
earlier column –garage sale!