Top row (left to right): Phylindia Gant, Katelyn Palmer, Haley Boles, Denise Buckner
Bottom row (left to right): Fer Juarez, Amy Williams, Sydney Shaner, Lydia Kivrak
Graduate Students
Phylindia Gant – Geobiology & Astrobiology – Ph.D.
“Biosignatures in Iron Oxidizing Microbes (BIOMe) – A Study on Metabolic Processes Preserved as Biosignatures from Iron Metabolizing Microorganisms”
Phylindia started her Ph.D. in Fall 2021 and is studying biosignatures in iron-metabolizing organisms. She is a collaborator on the NASA Mars Curiosity rover mission.
Denise Buckner – Geobiology & Astrobiology – Ph.D.
“Characterizing the Effects of Solar and Cosmic Radiation on Lipid Biomarkers in Mars Mineralogy”
Denise started her Ph.D. in Fall 2020 and is studying the effects of radiation on biogenic organic molecules to assess how to search for radiation-processed biosignatures on Mars. She is a collaborator on the NASA Perseverance mission.
Lydia Kivrak – Geobiology & Astrobiology – Ph.D.
“Thermochemolysis and the Next Generation in Extraterrestrial Organic Molecule Detection”
Lydia started her Ph.D. in Fall 2019 and is exploring new methods to detect diagnostic organic biosignatures in extraterrestrial environments with derivatization and thermochemolysis wet chemistry experiments. She is a collaborator on the NASA Perseverance mission.
Undergraduate Researchers
Alexa Goldberg – Geobiology & Astrobiology – B.S.
” Organic molecule detection in Mars analog terrain, Pilot Valley, Utah, using TMAH thermochemolysis”
Nalani Quintana – Geobiology & Astrobiology & Microbiology – B.S.
“Effects of pH on organics detectability with TMAH and TMSH thermochemolysis”
Katelyn Palmer – Geobiology & Astrobiology – B.S.
“Characterizing Organics in Mars Analogue, Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve, with TMAH Wet Chemistry”
Former Lab Members
| Name | Degree | Graduation | Project(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lauren Judge (University of Florida) | M.Sc. | 2021 | Discovering Biosignatures in Manganese Oxide Deposits on Mars |
| Chance Sturrup (University of Florida) | B.S. | 2021 | Organics Preservation in Acid Mine Drainage Sediments from Centralia, PA |
| Sydney Shaner (University of Florida) | B.S. | 2020 | Organics Preservation in the Hyperarid Qaidam Basin, China: An Analog for Fluvio-Lacustrine Deposits in Gale Crater, Mars |
| Mary Rodgers (Towson University) | M.Sc. | 2020 | Microbial Controls on Acid Mine Drainage Production at Centralia, PA |
| Taylor Pearson (Towson University) | B.S. | 2019 | A Geobiological Survey of the Acid Mine Drainage-Impacted Big Mine Run Stream, Centralia, PA |
| Evan O’Neal (Towson University) | B.S. | 2019 | “Detection of Physical Biosignatures in Drill Fines via SEM” and Previous project: “A Geobiological Survey of the Acid Mine Drainage-Impacted Big Mine Run Stream” |
| Kenna Leonzo (Towson University) | B.S. | 2019 | Health of the Historic ‘Glen Stream’ at Towson University |
| Kyle Hurley (Towson University) | B.S. | 2019 | Accuracy of Grain Size Analyses in Images from the ChemCam Instrument Remote MicroImager (RMI) onboard the NASA Curiosity Rover |
| Paula Araneda (Towson University) | B.S. | 2019 | Morphologic biosignatures in the El Tatio Digitate Stromatolites, El Tatio, Atacama Desert, Chile |
| Kirk Marks (Towson University) | B.S. | 2018 | Effects of Acid Mine Drainage on the Aqueous Geochemistry of Big Mine Run and Mahanoy Creek in East-Central Pennsylvania: A Downstream Evaluation |
| JoAnna Marlow (Towson University) | B.S. | 2018 | Microtexture Characterization in Hydrothermal Sinter Cores from Alaska |
| Dom Capparuccini (Towson University) | B.S. | 2018 | Assessing the Health of Lake Roland Tributaries using Benthic Macroinvertebrate Surveys and Geochemical Techniques |
| Chris Cook (Towson University) | B.S. | 2018 | Spectral Characterization of Pterin Group Molecules: Implications for Finding Life on Mars Classification of Iron Biosignatures on Earth to Recognize Life on Mars |
| Chris Neely (Towson University) | B.S. | 2018 | “Development of a Modified Bligh Dyer Extraction for Iron-Rich Mars Analog Rock Samples” & Previous project: “Quality Assurance of Grain Size Analyses in Images from the ChemCam Instrument Remote MicroImager (RMI) onboard the NASA Curiosity Rover” |
| Spencer Kolasinski (Towson University) | B.S. | 2018 | Ecosystem Health of the Towson University Waterways |
| Jeremy Becraft (Towson University) | B.S. | 2017 | Assessing the Health of Towson University’s Waterways using Benthic Macroinvertebrate Surveys and Geochemical Techniques |
| Shane Evans (Towson University) | B.S. | 2017 | A Comparison of Microtexture and Geobiology in Iron- and Silica-Precipitating Hot Springs from Iceland |
| Derek Seibel (Towson University) | B.S. | 2017 | Towson University’s Contribution of Trace Elements and Metals to Local Streams |
| Ryan Grams (Towson University) | B.S. | 2017 | A Baseline Survey of the Water Quality of Towson University’s Waterways |
| Haley Boles | B.S. | 2022 | Organics Detection in Ancient Cratonic Rocks with TMAH Wet Chemistry |
| Eli Prescott | B.S. | 2022 | Organics Preservation in Modern to Relict Icelandic Hot Springs |
| Janelle Roach | B.S. | 2022 | Organics Detected in the First TMAH Experiment on Mars |
| Sarah Halbert | B.S. | 2022 | Studying Mars Analogs: a Comparison of TMAH vs TMSH Wet Chemistry on Australian Acid Saline Lakes |
| Tim Bredder (Towson University) | B.S. | 2016 | Water Quality of Unregulated Maryland and Pennsylvania Springs |