Microbial biosignatures: Insights into microbial ecology, biogeochemical cycling and astrobiology
Dr.
Allyson
Lee
Brady
School
of
Geography
and
Earth
Sciences
McMaster
University
Microorganisms, through their interactions and symbiotic associations play active roles in biomineralization, biogeochemical cycling of carbon, biodegradation, and influence processes on local and global scales. Investigating biological and geochemical controls on these interactions in extreme environments, both natural and engineered, offers fundamental insight into microbial ecology, including habitability and adaptability, as well as to biotechnology and space science (astrobiology). The ubiquitous nature and metabolic diversity of microbes allows communities to thrive in a wide array of environments and locations, including some of the harshest conditions on Earth.
Dr. Allyson Brady's research applies organic biomarker and natural abundance isotope analysis (13C, 14C) to investigate dynamic microbial ecosystems in a range of aquatic and terrestrial extreme environments. These biosignatures provide clues about the nature of the microbial communities, associated metabolisms, potential biotechnological applications and their influences in the geologic record on Earth. Understanding biosignatures resulting from microbe-mineral and fluid interactions is also critical for informing sample selection in future space missions targeting life detection.
In this presentation Dr. Allyson Brady will highlight examples from her research investigating interactions between the biosphere and the geosphere. Past and current projects include microbe-mineral interactions in microbialite-hosting Pavilion Lake, B.C., biogeochemical cycling of carbon in endolith and aquatic systems in Antarctica, and geomicrobiology and habitability of terrestrial basalts at a NASA Mars analogue site in Hawaii. Anticipated future research expands her current interests and expertise to include new analogue environments and biomarker compounds as well as application of novel radiocarbon analysis to in situ degradation of emerging pollutants