Origins and Habitability Laboratory
Research Directions
We are astrobiologists who study the origin of life and how life can exist on other worlds. Our group consists of geologists, biologists, chemists, engineers, and others. We work on a variety of projects to understand how geological conditions impact life in planetary environments such as early Earth, Mars, icy moons of the outer planets, and exoplanets.
Recent Lab News
New Student Led Review Paper
A new review paper was published in ChemSystemsChem reviewing the prebiotic relevance of cofactors in the electron transport chain. This paper includes 8 OHL student intern authors and 3 OHL postdoc authors.
Simulating hydrothermal vents on early Earth & Mars
A new study was published in ACS Earth and Space Science by OHL student Nancy Carman, about the formation of Fe/Mg-silicate chimneys in alkaline hydrothermal vents. This study simulated hydrothermal chimneys in the lab using conditions inspired by the Strýtan hydrothermal field in Iceland, which is a basalt-hosted vent system analogous to environments on early Earth and Mars. (Image: NASA)
New Grant Funded: Habitability of Enceladus
OHL PI Laurie Barge was recently awarded a new NASA Habitable Worlds grant to study new mechanisms for habitability in Saturn’s moon Enceladus. We will study whether the organics in Enceladus’ core could provide energy for life in this ocean world.
New Grant Funded: Organic Stability on Ceres
OHL PI Jessica Weber was awarded a NASA Exobiology grant to explore organic reactivity on the surface of the dwarf planet Ceres. The OHL will study whether biologically relevant molecules are stable under UV irradiation relevant to Ceres.
OHL Outreach Committee
Introducing the OHL’s Outreach Committee! The outreach committee was founded by and is led by students and postdocs. They organize outreach activities for the lab to participate in, manage the lab’s social media, and represent the OHL at outreach events.
Prebiotic chemistry on Enceladus
A new study was published in CHEM led by OHL student Tess Marlin and other members of the lab, about prebiotic organic reactions in chemical garden experiments conducted under Enceladus conditions. We found that some protometabolic reactions can occur in these conditions simulating mineral environments on ocean worlds.
CL#26-0521