Model Ecosystems in Extreme Environments

Professor J. Seckbach is a retired senior academician at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel. He earned his MSc. & Ph.D. from the University of Chicago and did a post doctorate in the Division of Biology at Caltech, in Pasadena, CA. He led a group researching exobiology (extraterrestrial life) at UCLA. Seckbach was appointed to the Hebrew University, Jerusalem (as a senior Lecturer) and spent sabbaticals at UCLA and Harvard University. Dr. Seckbach enjoyed his DAAD-sponsored (The German Academic Exchange) periods in Tübingen, Germany, and at LMU, Munich. He served at Louisiana State University (LSU), Baton Rouge, LA, USA, as the first selected Chair for the Louisiana Sea Grant and Technology transfer. Professor Joseph Seckbach has edited over 35 scientific books by various publishers (Springer, Elsevier, Wiley-Scrivener, World Scientific, Kluwer, Nova Hedwigia, U. of Freiburg and Geneva). Seckbach has published approximately 150 scientific articles on the topics of plant ferritin–(phytoferritin), cellular evolution, acidothermophilic algae, life in extreme environments, and astrobiology.Recently he co-edited with Professor Richard Gordon several new series of Diatom books and with Professor Helga Stan-Lotter the volume of Extremophiles as Astronomical Models. In addition, to editing academic volumes, He also edited and translated several popular books and reviewed several chapters and volumes. His recent interest is in the field of enigmatic and extremophilic microorganisms and life in extreme environments and Astrobiology and is currently editing a few new volumes. Pabulo Henrique Rampelotto is Professor at the Center of Biotechnology and PPGBCM, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul. He has been involved in extensive research in astrobiology, genomics, biotechnology, and life in extreme environments. Prof. Rampelotto has extensive editorial experience, including as Editor-in-Chief of Current Biotechnology and Editor of the book series Grand Challenges in Biology and Biotechnology. He also serves as Associate Editor, Guest Editor and member of the Editorial Board of several scientific journals in the field of Life Sciences and Biotechnology. His research interests encompass different fields of science, from basic to applied research, including: biotechnology, metagenomics, next generation sequencing, molecular biology and biochemistry of microorganisms, microbial ecology, extremophiles, origins of life, astrobiology, and space science (Solar System exploration). Most of his recent work has been dedicated to the editorial process of several scientific journals in life science and biotechnology, as well as on the organization of special issues on his fields of expertise. In his special issues, some of the most distinguished team leaders in the field have published their work, ideas and findings, including Nobel Laureates and several highly cited scientists according to the ISI Institute. His landmark work thus far is the special issue Grand Celebration: 10th Anniversary of the Human Genome Project.

• 1. Terrestrial systems of the Arctic as a model for growth and survival at low temperatures2. Geothermal Steam Vents of Hawaii3. Solar Salterns as Model Systems for the Study of Halophilic Microorganisms in their Natural Environments4. Great Salt Lakes as a Model Hypersaline System5. Plants and Salt: Plant Response and Adaptations to Salinity6. Microbial Ecology of the Namib Desert7. Endolithic Microbial Communities as Model Systems8. Survival of Subsurface Microbial Communities over Geological Times and the Implications for Astrobiology9. Under what kind of life system could space life emerge?