This conference is the first Conference and WGPP (Working Group and Project Planning) meeting of the TD1308 COST action ORIGINS.

Click the image to download the conference poster.

This action adresses three basic questions that fascinate and intrigue scientists, and the general public alike: Where, when and how did life emerge and evolve on Earth? What are the conditions under which life can exist? Does life exist elsewhere in the Universe and, if it does, how can it be detected and identified? The action has specifically excluded the search for intelligent extraterrestrial life in its portfolio.

This European action, which gather 30 countries and 150 scientists working in astrophysics, astrochemistry, planetology, geology, geochemistry, biology, paleontology, space science, engineering, philosophy and history of science, is divided into 5 Working Groups , among which 3 of them will have in Porto their first WG meeting.

• one plenary session on Monday, including a special talk for the 20th anniversary of the discovery of the first exoplanet (51 Pegasi b) and another one on the Rosetta mission related to the comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko
• one special session on Tuesday morning on planetary atmospheres
• 3 Working Group sessions on Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday morning on
  • Formation and Evolution of habitable planets
  • From inanimate matter to living systems
  • Biosignatures and abiotic processes

The first 2 sessions (full Monday and Tuesday morning) are open to all researchers. Session 3 is devoted to WG members only, but any researcher interested in participating in this session is welcome to contact the chair of the action or the WG leaders (emails in the programme section).

SOC
John Brucato (I)
Corinne Charbonnel (CH)
Elias Chatzitheodoridis (GR)
Veronique Dehant (B)
David Düner (S)
Jorge Gameiro (P) - Co-Chair of the Conference
Muriel Gargaud (F) - Chair of the Action Origins
Wolf Geppert (S) - Vice-Chair of the Action Origins
Emmanuelle Javaux (B)
Zuzana Kanuchova (SK)
Terence Kee (UK)
Akos Kereszturi (H)
Purification Lopez Garcia (F)
Christophe Malaterre (CDN)
Nigel Mason (UK)
Olga Prieto-Balesteros (E)
Nuno Santos (P) - Co-Chair of the Conference
Ewa Szuszkiewicz (PL)


LOC
Jorge Gameiro - Co-Chair
Manuel Monteiro
Paulo Peixoto
Nuno Santos - Co-Chair
Elsa Silva
Nelma Silva


Contact
For any questions/inquiries, please contact us at life-origins2015@iastro.pt.