Imre Friedmann
Encyclopedia
E. Imre Friedmann was a biologist
, Robert O. Lawton Distinguished Professor of Biology at Florida State University
and the NASA Ames Research Center
, and Director, Polar Desert Research Center. He studied endolithic microbial communities
and astrobiology
. After escaping the Holocaust, Friedmann received his Ph.D. in botany
from the University of Vienna
, Austria
in 1951, and he died on June 11, 2007.
Friedmann made important discoveries of life in extreme environments, particularly cryptoendolithic
microbial communities that grow within rocks in deserts, including those of Antarctica and the Negev Desert in Israel
. He was also interested in terraforming
and wrote several articles about the possibility of terraforming Mars
using microbes. In later years he was involved with investigations of martian meteorite ALH84001
, which was claimed to contain evidence for early microbial life on Mars.
He was a Foreign Member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences
, and a Concurrent Professor at the University of Nanjing, China
Biology
Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
, Robert O. Lawton Distinguished Professor of Biology at Florida State University
Florida State University
The Florida State University is a space-grant and sea-grant public university located in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a comprehensive doctoral research university with medical programs and significant research activity as determined by the Carnegie Foundation...
and the NASA Ames Research Center
NASA Ames Research Center
The Ames Research Center , is one of the United States of America's National Aeronautics and Space Administration 10 major field centers.The centre is located in Moffett Field in California's Silicon Valley, near the high-tech companies, entrepreneurial ventures, universities, and other...
, and Director, Polar Desert Research Center. He studied endolithic microbial communities
Endolith
An endolith is an organism that lives inside rock, coral, animal shells, or in the pores between mineral grains of a rock. Many are extremophiles, living in places previously thought inhospitable to life...
and astrobiology
Astrobiology
Astrobiology is the study of the origin, evolution, distribution, and future of life in the universe. This interdisciplinary field encompasses the search for habitable environments in our Solar System and habitable planets outside our Solar System, the search for evidence of prebiotic chemistry,...
. After escaping the Holocaust, Friedmann received his Ph.D. in botany
Botany
Botany, plant science, or plant biology is a branch of biology that involves the scientific study of plant life. Traditionally, botany also included the study of fungi, algae and viruses...
from the University of Vienna
University of Vienna
The University of Vienna is a public university located in Vienna, Austria. It was founded by Duke Rudolph IV in 1365 and is the oldest university in the German-speaking world...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
in 1951, and he died on June 11, 2007.
Friedmann made important discoveries of life in extreme environments, particularly cryptoendolithic
Endolith
An endolith is an organism that lives inside rock, coral, animal shells, or in the pores between mineral grains of a rock. Many are extremophiles, living in places previously thought inhospitable to life...
microbial communities that grow within rocks in deserts, including those of Antarctica and the Negev Desert in Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
. He was also interested in terraforming
Terraforming
Terraforming of a planet, moon, or other body is the hypothetical process of deliberately modifying its atmosphere, temperature, surface topography or ecology to be similar to those of Earth, in order to make it habitable by terrestrial organisms.The term is sometimes used more generally as a...
and wrote several articles about the possibility of terraforming Mars
Mars
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the Solar System. The planet is named after the Roman god of war, Mars. It is often described as the "Red Planet", as the iron oxide prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance...
using microbes. In later years he was involved with investigations of martian meteorite ALH84001
ALH84001
Allan Hills 84001 is a meteorite that was found in Allan Hills, Antarctica on December 27, 1984 by a team of U.S. meteorite hunters from the ANSMET project. Like other members of the group of SNCs , ALH 84001 is thought to be from Mars. However, it does not fit into any of the previously...
, which was claimed to contain evidence for early microbial life on Mars.
He was a Foreign Member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences
Hungarian Academy of Sciences
The Hungarian Academy of Sciences is the most important and prestigious learned society of Hungary. Its seat is at the bank of the Danube in Budapest.-History:...
, and a Concurrent Professor at the University of Nanjing, China