People
Investigators | Research Scientists | Post Docs | Students | Collaborators | Former

Clark Johnson, PI (UW-Madison) clarkj@geology.wisc.edu
Interests include application of stable (C, S, Mg, Ca, and Fe) and radiogenic (Rb-Sr, Sm-Nd, Lu-Hf, and U-Th-Pb) isotope geochemistry to determining ancient paleoenvironments and the evolution of microbial metabolisms in the Precambrian Earth and on Mars.

Brian Beard, Co-I (UW-Madison) beardb@geology.wisc.edu
Research interests in isotope geochemistry include development of new stable isotope systems such as Ca, Mg, and Fe, including the calibration of isotopic fractionation factors between minerals and fluids and development of new analytical techniques to measure these isotope compositions. Also keenly interested in the geochronology and petrogenesis of Martian igneous rocks and this work is being pursued by analysis of SNC group meteorites as well as in developing new instrumentation to conduct remote isotope analysis using miniature mass spectrometers that are suitable for deployment on a Mars rover style system.

Max Coleman, Co-I (JPL) max.coleman@jpl.nasa.gov
Integration of different relevant scientific disciplines to understand how natural systems work, especially as applied to astrobiology and sedimentary systems; specialties include stable isotope geochemistry (C, O, S, Cl). Joint appointment at JPL in Planetary Habitability Science and the Center for Life Detection.

Pascale Ehrenfreund, Co-I (JPL) ehrenfreund@chem.leidenuniv.nl
The interdisciplinary research program led by Dr. Ehrenfreund includes interstellar and planetary chemistry with a current main emphasis on investigation of organic molecules in comets, meteorites and on planetary surfaces, and to calibrate/optimize instrumention for life detection on Mars (Exomars 2013).

Kay Ferrari, Co-I (JPL) Kay.A.Ferrari@jpl.nasa.gov
The Education and Public Outreach effort will focus on sharing information gathered from biosignature experiments, and the subsequent conclusions reached, by the Astrobiology Research Consortium teams with students in grades K-12, educators and with general public audiences. A large portion of this effort will be conducted through volunteer outreach and education programs, including NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassadors, Solar System Educators and the Museum Alliance.

Eric Roden, Co-I (UW-Madison) eroden@geology.wisc.edu
Research areas include geomicrobiology and aquatic biogeochemistry, with an emphasis on the physiology and ecology of metal-respiring bacteria and microbial cycling of metals; microbial mineral transformations; and novel lithotrophic metabolic pathways.

Christopher Romanek, Co-I (University of Georgia) romanek@uga.edu
Research specialty in stable isotope and sedimentary geochemistry of carbonate minerals; biomineralization and geomicrobiology; planetary geochemistry; isotope tracers in biological and inorganic systems; mass spectrometry, electron-beam imaging/elemental analysis, and other micro-analytical techniques.

Nita Sahai, Co-I (UW-Madison) sahai@geology.wisc.edu
Biomolecular-mineral surface interactions in low-temperature aqueous environments, with special emphasis on peptide-mediated mineral precipitation (biomineralization) and cell membrane phospholipid- mineral surface interactions (early evolution of life), as explored through computational chemistry and experimental studies.

Mahadeva Sinha, Co-I (JPL) mahadeva.p.sinha@jpl.nasa.gov
Research interests include development of novel technologies for miniature mass spectrometry (MMS) and array detectors for ions. Presently, MMS is being applied for the measurement of chemical and isotopic composition of rock samples using laser ablation for sample introduction. The science goals are the determination of the role of biotic processes and the paleo-environmental conditions in the formation of minerals in the rocks.

Rich Slaughter, Co-I (UW-Madison) rich@geology.wisc.edu
As EPO lead, Dr. Slaughter's role in this project is to educate the public about astrobiology via museum exhibits, art exhibitions, and other presentations. Also interested in getting undergraduates (both science and non-science majors) involved in this project.

John Valley, Co-I (UW-Madison) valley@geology.wisc.edu
Determining the surface conditions of the ancient Earth (up to 4.4. b.y. ago) through studies of the oldest terrestrial zircons using light stable isotopes such as Li and O; determining the genesis and biogenicity of proposed Archean microfossils and host cherts through O, C, S, and Si isotope studies; developing new insights into the fine-scale isotopic variability of ancient samples using the new Wisc-SIMS ion microprobe facility.

Huifang Xu, Co-I (UW-Madison) hfxu@geology.wisc.edu
Investigations include studies of the surface and interior properties of minerals, with an emphasis on phase formation and reactivity of minerals in biologic and abiologic systems as studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) (TEM), transmission electron microscopy (STEM), and computer modeling using density function theory (DFT).

John Fournelle (UW-Madison; Electron Microprobe Lab and SEM Lab) johnf@geology.wisc.edu
New frontiers in micro-analysis of isotopic compositions of natural materials: Development of O, Si, and Li isotopes

Brian Hess (UW-Madison; Thin Section Lab) hess@geology.wisc.edu
New frontiers in micro-analysis of isotopic compositions of natural materials: Development of O, Si, and Li isotopes

Jim Kern (UW-Madison; Wisc-SIMS Ion Microprobe Lab) jkern@geology.wisc.edu
New frontiers in micro-analysis of isotopic compositions of natural materials: Development of O, Si, and Li isotopes

Noriko Kita (UW-Madison; Wisc-SIMS Ion Microprobe Lab) noriko@geology.wisc.edu

Randall Mielke (NASA-JPL, Caltech) Randall.E.Mielke@jpl.nasa.gov
Microbial pyrite oxidation in nature and the lab: sulfate mineral biosignature investigation

Brooke Norsted (UW-Madison; Geology Museum) brooke@geology.wisc.edu

Mike Spicuzza (UW-Madison; Stable Isotope Isotope Geochemistry Lab) spicuzza@geology.wisc.edu

Karen Zeigler (UCLA) kziegler@ess.ucla.edu
Microbial pyrite oxidation in nature and the lab: sulfate mineral biosignature investigation

Marco Blöthe (UW-Madison) mblothe@geology.wisc.edu
Microbial Fe cycling

Andy Czaja (UW-Madison) aczaja@geology.wisc.edu
Evolution of metal-respiring bacteria in the Late Archean

Adriana Heimann (UW-Madison) aheimann@geology.wisc.edu
Origin of Banded Iron Formations

Phillip Heck (UW-Madison) prheck@geology.wisc.edu
New frontiers in micro-analysis of isotopic compositions of natural materials: Development of O, Si, and Li isotopes

Hiromi Konishi (UW-Madison) hkonishi@geology.wisc.edu
Nano-structured minerals as tracers of microbial activities

Reinhard Kozdon (UW-Madison) rkozdon@geology.wisc.edu
S and O isotope thermometry, genesis of Archean cherts

Donald Mkhonto (UW-Madison) mkhonto@wisc.edu
Molecular modeling of amino-acid adsorption on calcite

Monica Sanchez Roman (Department of Geology and Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, University of Georgia)

Taka Ushikubo (UW-Madison) ushi@geology.wisc.edu
O, C and Li isotope studies of 4.4 to 3.0 Ga zircons and their diamond inclusions

Lingling Wu (UW-Madison) lwu@geology.wisc.edu
Experimental studies of metal-respiring bacteria and fluid-oxide interactions

Teresa Perez Gonzalez (Department of Microbiology, University of Granada, Spain)

Jason Huberty (UW-Madison) jmhuberty@wisc.edu
Structure and chemistry of nano-magnetite; mineral phases in BIFs

Ian Orland (UW-Madison) orland@geology.wisc.edu
O and C isotope studies of speleothems and Pleistocene paleoclimate

Andrew Trzaskus (UW-Madison) trzaskus@geology.wisc.edu
O isotope studies of quartz cements in Phanerozoic sandstones

Fangfu Zhang (UW-Madison) fzhang@geology.wisc.edu
Roles of soil microbes and solution chemistry on crystal shape, structure, composition, and architecture of calcium carbonate

Caroline Kirby (UW-Madison) ckirby@wisc.edu
Microbial ecology of hypersaline lake sediments

Jill Banfield (UC Berkeley)
Nic Beukes (University of Johannesburg, South Africa)
Laurent Binet (Ecole Nationale Suprieure de Chimie de Paris, France)
Marjorie Chan (University of Utah)
Tianhu Chen (Heifei University of Technology, China)
Sylvie Derenne (École Nationale Supérieure de Chimie, Paris, France)
Greg Druschel (University of Vermont)
Jennifer Eigenbrode (NASA Goddard)
David Emerson (Bigelow Marine Laboratory)
James Farquhar (University of Maryland)
Kate Freeman (Penn State University)
Marilyn Fogel (Carnegie Institute)
Yuri Gorby (Venter Institute)
Geoff Holt (Madison Public School District)
Andreas Kappler (University of Tuebingen)
Kase Klein (University of New Mexico)
Kurt Konhauser (University of Alberta)
Concepcion Jimenez Lopez (Department of Microbiology, University of Granada, Spain)
George Luther (University of Delaware)
Craig Marshall (Sydney University)
Stephen Moorbath (Oxford University, U.K.)
Alejandro Rodriguez Navarro (Department of Mineralogy and Petrology, University of Granada, Spain)
Hiroshi Ohmoto (Penn State University)
Peir Pufahl (Acadia University)
Javier Sanchez (Spanish Geological Survey, Spain)
Edwin Schauble (U.C.L.A.)
Mark Sephton (Imperial College, London, U.K.)
Mitch Sogin (Woods Hole Marine Biological Laboratory)
Martin Van Kranendonk (Geological Survey of Western Australia)
Ellen Van Pay (Green Bay School District, Green Bay, WI)
Simon Wilde (Curtin University, Australia)
Kosei Yamaguchi (IFREE-JAMSTEC, Japan)
Ed Young (UCLA)

Emily Freeman (UW-Madison) efreeman@geology.wisc.edu
Possible roles of microbes in formation of nano-magnetite and Fe-bearing smectite during weathering of basaltic rocks

George Tangalos (UW-Madison) tangalos@geology.wisc.edu
Microbial Fe reduction and Fe isotope fractionation in sediments

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