TIMOTHY A. KRAL, University of Florida, 1978.

INTERESTS: Exobiology, astrobiology, bioastronomy, life on Mars, origins of life.

RESEARCH: I use methanogens, microorganisms in the domain Archaea, as models for martian life. The methanogens are tested for growth and survivability under conditions approaching those seen on Mars, with the idea being that methanogens or methanogen-like organisms may currently exist or in the past have existed below the martian surface. I collaborate with NASA researchers, am one of the original investigators with the Arkansas-Oklahoma Center for Space and Planetary Sciences.

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

Sears D. W. G. and Kral T. A. 1998. SEM imaging of martian and lunar meteorites and implications for microfossils in martian meteorites. Lunar Planet. Sci XXIX, CD-ROM, paper 1934.

Kral, T.A., K.M. Brink, S.M. Miller, and C.P. McKay. 1998. Hydrogen Consumption by Methanogens on the Early Earth. Origins Life Evol. Biosphere. 28: 311-319.

Sears, D.W.G. and T.A. Kral. 1998. Martian Microfossils in Lunar Meteorites. Meteoritics Planetary Sci. 33: 791-794.

Sears, D.W.G., P.H. Benoit, S.W.S. McKeever, D. Banerjee, T. Kral, W. Stites, L. Roe, P.Jansma,, and G. Mattioli. 2002. Investigation of biological, chemical, and physical processes on and in planetary surfaces by laboratory simulation. Planet. Space Sci. 50(9), 821-828.

Kral, T.A., C.R. Bekkum and C.P. McKay. Growth of Methanogens on a Mars Soil Simulant Under Simulated Martian Conditions. Proceedings of Bioastronomy 2002. In press.

Kral, T.A., C.R. Bekkum and C.P. McKay. Growth of Methanogens on a Mars Soil Simulant. Orig. Life. Evol. Biosphere. In Press.