Читать книгу Astrobiology - Charles S. Cockell - Страница 23

Affiliation: NASA Ames Research Center, California, USA

What was your first degree? My first degree was in Geology with a concentration in Planetary Science at Cornell University. I was lucky to go to a school with such a broad range of research opportunities, and while I was an undergraduate, I was able to do research projects in microbiology, geology, and astronomy. All three fields greatly interested me, and I feel like I found a good balance in astrobiology. By getting involved in research as a student, you really get a sense of what it is like to be a professional scientist, and a chance to increase your technical knowledge, challenge yourself to be resourceful, and think creatively.

What do you study? I primarily study the preservation of the molecular biosignatures (or biomarkers) in the fossil record on Earth, particularly places that have properties analogous to Mars. I've done a lot of work in the Atacama Desert in Chile, which is one of the driest places on Earth, and in Antarctica. My particular subfield is at the intersection of geology and biochemistry. Studying these types of environments on Earth help me and other astrobiologists to interpret data from Mars and design the next set of tools to look for life on the Red Planet.

What science questions do you address? There are a few questions that drive my research: (i) How do the molecules that make up organisms get incorporated into the geological record? (ii) How do those molecules break down over time? Which structural features or patterns diagnostic of their biogenicity remain? (iii) What physical or chemical conditions lead to increased chances of preservation of biomarkers? (iv) What are the extreme limits of life in desert environments?

How did you get involved in astrobiology research? I have loved geology, astronomy, and planetary science since I was six years old. I went to Space Camp, had a telescope, and read a lot of books as a child. I remember I first read about astrobiology when I was about 11 years old in a Dan Brown novel. I was lucky to grow up near a NASA center (NASA Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley, California), and when I turned 16 I got a summer internship at NASA. I helped my mentor analyze over 40 000 images of Mars, studying features that resemble terrestrial water-carved gullies. I was lucky to find supportive and brilliant mentors, and even all these years later I still collaborate with them! Ever since then, I have always been looking for the next interesting research question to dive in on!