
Research interests
1986-1989 BSc, Bristol University, Biochemistry
1990-1994 DPhil, Corpus Christi College, Oxford University, Molecular Biophysics
1995-1997 National Academy of Sciences Associateship, NASA Ames Research Center, California, Exobiology
1997-1998 Visiting Scholarship, Dept. of Biology, Stanford University
1998-1999 Visiting Scientist, Dept. of Plant Sciences, University of Arizona
2000-2005 Research Scientist, British Antarctic Survey, Microbiology
2005-2011 Professor of Geomicrobiology, Open University
2011- Professor of Astrobiology, University of Edinburgh
My research group is interested in astrobiology and microbiology. Our particular research focus lies in the study of life in extreme environments, understanding the diversity, processes and biosignatures of life in extremes, and the potential habitability of extraterrestrial environments.
We have done some of our work through the UK Centre for Astrobiology in 2011, a virtual centre that we set up. Through this centre we've implemented a variety of activities from establishing the world's first underground astrobiology lab that we've used to study life in the deep subsurface through to launching several experiments to the International Space Station. We have used this centre to develop education projects, including the Life Beyond project in Scottish prisons. You can read about this virtual centre here: www.astrobiology.ac.uk
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