There will be other scientists at the news conference. Jason Kottke gives a rundown on each of them and their expertise here.
Science Magazine, in which Wolfe-Simon and colleagues' article "A Bacterium That Can
Grow by Using Arsenic Instead of Phosphorous" will appear, has released this YouTube video offering a brief explanation of the piece.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/12/02/nasa-new-life-arsenic-bacteria_n_791094.htmlThe NASA press conference has started.
The lead scientist behind the research Dr. Lisa Wolfe-Simon says, "This microbe is doing something different than what we know."
She adds, "We've cracked open the door for what's possible for life elsewhere in the universe. and that's profound to understand how life is formed and where life is going."