NASA Logo Jet Propulsion Laboratory California Institute of Technology View the NASA Portal
NASA Banner
NASA Banner
NASA Banner
JPL HOME EARTH SOLAR SYSTEM STARS & GALAXIES SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
NASA Banner
JPL Science
JPL Science Division Home
Planetary Science Planetary Science
Earth and Planetary Atmospheres
Geophysics & Planetary Geosciences
Asteroids, Comets & Satellites
Advanced Instrumentation & Spectroscopy
People
Planetary Habitability Science
Planetary Ices
Astrophysics & Space Science Astrophysics & Space Science
Climate, Oceans and Solid Earth Science Climate, Oceans and Solid Earth Science
Earth Atmospheric Science Earth Atmospheric Science
Table Mountain Facility Table Mountain Facility
Open Postdoc Positions Open Postdoc Positions
 Advanced Instrumentation & Spectroscopy: People
Alexandre Tsapin's Picture
Address:
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
M/S 183-301
4800 Oak Grove Drive
Pasadena, CA 91109
Phone:
818.354.1592
Fax:
818.393.4445
Email:

Alexandre Tsapin

Education
  • B.S. Biophysics, Moscow State University (1968)
  • M.S. Physics, Physics Dept., Moscow State University (1970)
  • Ph.D. Biophysics, Institute of Chemical Physics, Russian Academy of Science (RAS) (1974)
Research Interests
  • Life detection in extreme environments
  • Application of X-ray and Neutron Computer Tomography for life detection and analysis of opaque matrixes
  • Preservation of biomarkers for geological times
  • Amino acid preservation and racemization in fossils
Professional Experience
  • Research Professor, University of Southern California, Los Angeles (2002-present)
  • Research Scientist, JPL/Caltech, Center for Life Detection (1998-present)
Selected Publications
  1. D. Leys, A. Tsapin, K. Nealson, T. Meyer, M. Cusanovich & J. Van Beeumen, Structure and mechanism of the flavocytochrome c fumarate reductase of Shewanella putrefaciens, Nature Structural biology, vol. 6 Number 12, December ,p. 1113 - 1117 (1999).
  2. Y. S. Cheng, C. A. Brantner, A. Tsapin, and M. L.Collins, Role of the H Protein in Assembly of the Photochemical Reaction Center and Intracytoplasmic Membrane in Rhodospirillum rubrum, J. Bacteriol. Vol. 182, pp. 1200-1207, (2000).
  3. A.I. Tsapin, M.G. Goldfeld, G.D. McDonald, K.H. Nealson, B. Moscowitz, P. Solheid, K.H. Kemner, S.D. Kelly, and K.A. Orlandini, Iron (VI): Hypothetical candidate for the Martian Oxidant, Icarus, vol. 146, 68-78, (2000).
  4. A.I. Tsapin, M.G. Goldfeld, K.H.Nealson, K.M.Kemner, B. Moskowitz, Self-Sterilizing properties of Martian Soil: Possible Nature and Implications, 30th International Conference on Environmental Systems, Toulose, France, July 10-13, (2000).
  5. K.Ozawa, A.I. Tsapin, K.H. Nealson, M.A. Cusanovich, and H. Akutsu, Expression of a tetraheme protein, Desulfovibrio vulgaris Miyazaki M cytochrome c3, in Shewanella oneidensis MR-1, Applied and Environmental Microbiology, vol. 66, No. 9, 4168-4171, (2000).
  6. A.I. Tsapin, M.G. Goldfeld, G.D. McDonald, K.H.Nealson, J. Mohnke, B. Moscovitz, P. Solheid, K. Kemner, K. Orlandini, Ferrate (VI) as a possible oxidant on the Martian surface, in A New Era in Bioastronomy, eds. G. Lemarchand and K. Meech, vol. 213, 315-318, (2000).
  7. A. Tsapin, M. Storrie-Lombardi, G. D. McDonald, K.H. Nealson, and J.W. Nesson, Application of computer tomography (CT) for search of life in extreme environments, in A New Era in Bioastronomy, eds. G. Lemarchand and K. Meech, vol. 213, 387-389, (2000).
  8. K.M.Kemner, S.D.Kelly, K.A.Orlandini, A.I.Tsapin, M.G.Golfeld, Y.D.Perfiliev, and K.H.Nealson, XAS investigation of Fe(VI), J.Synchrotron Radiation, vol. 8, 949-951, (2001).
  9. A. I. Tsapin, I. Vandenberghe, K. H. Nealson, J. H. Scott, T. E. Meyer, M. A. Cusanovich,4 E. Harada, T.Kaizu, H. Akutsu, D. Leys, and J. J. Van Beeumen, Identification of a Small Tetraheme Cytochrome c and a Flavocytochrome c as Two of the Principal Soluble Cytochromes c in Shewanella oneidensis Strain MR1, Applied and Environmental Microbiology, , Vol. 67, No. 7, 3236-3244, (2001).
  10. M.C.Storrie-Lombardi, W.F.Hug, G.D.McDonald, A.I.Tsapin, and K.H. Nealson, Hollow Cathode Ion Lasers for Deep Ultraviolet Raman Spectroscopy and Fluorescence Imaging, Review of Scientific Instruments, Vol.72, number 12, pp 4452-4459, (2001).
  11. A. Tsapin, K. Nealson, and M. Goldfeld, Treatment with ferrates eliminates DNA and proteins, NASA Tech Briefs, vol. 25, No. 9, p. 54, (2001).
  12. Brinton, K. L. F., A. I. Tsapin, D. Gilichinsky and G. D. McDonald, Aspartic acid racemization and age-depth relationships for organic carbon in Siberian permafrost. Astrobiology, Vol. 2, number 1, pp. 77-82, (2002).
  13. D. Yu. Sorokin, V. M. Gorlenko, T. P. Tourova, A. I. Tsapin, K. H. Nealson, and G. J. Kuenen, Thioalkalimicrobium cyclum sp. nov., and Thioalkalivibrio jannaschii sp. nov., new species of haloalkaliphilic, obligately chemolithoautotrophic sulfur-oxidizing bacteria from hypersaline alkaline Mono Lake (California), International Journal Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology, vol. 52, pp. 913-920, (2002).
  14. David Leys, Terrance E. Meyer, Alexandre S. Tsapin, Kenneth H. Nealson, Michael A. Cusanovich, and Jozef J. Van Beeumen, Crystal structures at atomic resolution reveal the novel concept of [chi ] electron-harvesting as a role for the small tetraheme cytochrome c, J. Biol. Chem., v. 277(38), pp. 35703-11 (2002).
  15. A. Tsapin, M. Goldfeld, and K. Nealson, Vikings experiments and hypothesis that Fe(VI) is a possible candidate as Martian oxidant, Icarus, v. 159, p. 268, (2002).
  16. G.McDonald, A. Tsapin, D. Gilichinsky, Amino acid racemization as an indicator for in situ molecular repair processes in permafrost microorganisms, International Journal of Astrobiology, v.1, #2, p 102, (2002).
  17. R. Bhartia, A. Tsapin, A. Thompson, R. Wang, Visualization of surficial and internal structure and chemistry using CT and neutron imaging, International Journal of Astrobiology, v.1, #2, p.89, (2002).
  18. S. K. Dedushenko , Yu. D. Perfiliev, M. G. Goldfeld, and A. I. Tsapin Mossbauer Study of Hexavalent Iron Compounds, Hyperfine Interactions v. 136/137, pp.373-377, (2001).
  19. J. F. Heidelberg, & A.Tsapin, et al. (ca. 50 co-authors), Genome sequence of the dissimilatory metal ion-reducing bacterium Shewanella oneidensis, Nature Biotechnology, v. 20(11), pp. 1118-23, (2002).
  20. K.H.Nealson, A. Tsapin , M. Storrie-Lombardi, Searching for life in the universe: unconventional methods for an unconventional problem, International Microbiology, v. 5, pp. 223-230, (2002).
  21. E. Harada, J. Kumagai, K. Ozawa, S. Imabayashi, A. Tsapin, K. Nealson, T. Meyer, M. Cusanovich, H. Akutsu, A Directional Electron Transfer Regulator Based on Heme-Chain Architecture in The Small Tetraheme Cytochrome c from Shewanella oneidensis, FEBS letters, v. 532, pp. 333-337, (2002).
  22. A.Tsapin, K. Nealson, J. Nesson, C. Smith, Using computer tomography (CT)) for detection life in rocks, permafrost, and ice. Application for Astrobiology. Chapter in the book Life in Cold Enviroments, ed. J. Castello and S. Rogers, Princeton, in press (2003).
  23. A.Tsapin, G. McDonald, W. Abbey, R. Bhartia. W. Hug, Fluorescence and amino acids measurements in water column of Antarctic subglacial lakes. Astrobilogy, vol. 2, num. 4, p. 632, (2002).
  24. Corien Bakermans, Alexandre I. Tsapin, Virginia Souza-Egipsy, David A. Gilichinsky and Kenneth H. Nealson, Reproduction and metabolism at 10 C of bacteria isolated from Siberian permafrost, Environmental Microbiology vol. 5, #4, 321-326 (2003).
  25. Giometti CS, Khare T, Tollaksen SL, Tsapin A., Zhu W, Yates JR 3rd, Nealson KH., Analysis of the Shewanella oneidensis proteome by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis under nondenaturing conditions, Proteomics, May, 3(5):777-85 (2003).
  26. A. Tsapin, and G. McDonald, Microorganisms buried permafrost  are they in a dormant state or is their metabolism slowed down?, in Permafrost (eds. Phillips, Springman and Arenson), 1141-1144 (2003).
  27. Terry E. Meyer, Alexandre I. Tsapin, Isabel Vandenberghe, Lina De Smet, Dmitrij Frishman, Kenneth H. Nealson, Michael A. Cusanovich, and Jozef J. Van Beeumen, Identification of 42 Possible Cytochrome C Genes in the Shewanella oneidensis Genome and Characterization of Six Soluble Cytochromes, OMICS: A Journal of Integrative Biology, v. 8, Number: 1, 57-77(2004).
  28. A.Tsapin, G. McDonald, Terrestrial permafrost as a model environment for Bioastronomy, in Bioastronomy 2002: Life Among the Stars,Eds. Ray P. Norris & Frank H. Stootman, Astronomical Society of the Pacific, San Francisco, ISBN 1583811710, Library of Congress Control Number: 2004107802, (2004).

Group Home Page
People in this Group
JPL Privacy Statement Sitemap Email Contact Form
FIRST GOV NASA Home Page   Site Manager: Mona Jasnow
  Webmaster: David Martin
  Privacy/Copyright