Research Scientist Planetary Science Institute sdouglas @psi.edu

 

Research interests:

Interdisciplinary, field and laboratory-based investigations of Geosphere--Biosphere interactions, especially in desert and Mars analogue environments. The ability of microorganisms, dwelling as communities within rock, to produce and leave behind distinct signature minerals and textures is investigated in the whole-landscape and ecosystem context. Specific geomicrobiological aspects of microbial communities within sedimentary, evaporite, and volcanic rock, focusing on the effect of the whole community, rather than a collection of individuals, on the  environment, on a range of spatial scales from micrometres to kilometres. Field testing of new technology for robotic astrobiology-focused missions.