QUESTION:
Wouldn't a parallel research on this aspect of the Mars project be
understanding life under the floating land masses on Earth? I think that
would be a great update to our space exploration.

I am intrigued because I discovered at the National Museum of Natural
History that the elements of life are C-O-H-N. Recent oceanography is coming
up with S as also part of the process. Do your algorithms include the latest
data provided by oceanography?

ANSWER from Jack Farmer on August 4, 1997:
I'm not sure what you mean by "floating land masses" on Earth. If you mean
exploring for life in subsurface environments, that is already very much a
part of our ongoing research in relationship to both Mars and Europa.  It
provides a useful context for understanding the limits to life on Earth, and
also helps us think about where we may want to be looking beyond Earth. You
are right that CHON are the important elements for life, along with
Phosphorous. Sulfur plays a vital role in the metabolism of some species
that are considered potential analogs for the earliest forms of life on
Earth. If by data of oceanography, you refer to the black smoker (deep sea
vent) communities, then the answer is yes, there has been a lot of interest
in those environments in connection with origin of life studies and early
biosphere evolution.

Jack Farmer 
http://exobiology.arc.nasa.gov