Life in ice cold clays: On Earth and Mars
Summary
The project will study the diversity, functional capabilities, and preservation potential of microorganisms in Icelandic clays.
Project background
Although there is a growing quantity of knowledge about microbial communities that inhabit volcanic rocks, very little is known about the communities that inhabit weathering products of volcanic rocks, such as phyllosilicates (clays). In this project, we will investigate the microbial communities that inhabit clays in cold Icelandic basalts. We will study the diversity and functional capabilities of these organisms and their preservation potential in clays. These insights will have direct applications to understanding the habitability of newly emerging volcanic environments on Earth and the biogeochemical processes that occur in weathered basaltic materials. The work will have application to volcanic terrains on Mars, including the preservation potential of life in Martian clays which are widely reported across the surface of that planet. The project will involve the study of Icelandic materials using instruments on board the ESA Rosalind Franklin rover to provide data for the study of the habitability and potential for life in Martian phyllosilicates.
Research questions
- What is the diversity and functional capabilities of microbial communities in basalt-derived phyllosilicates?
- What is the preservation potential of microorganisms in phyllosilicates?
- What are the biogeochemical activities in microorganisms in weathered cold basaltic terrains?
- What are the implications of these findings for the colonisation and development of life in early volcanic terrains?
- What are the implications of these findings for the habitability and preservability of life in Martian basaltic terrains and can we detect them using spacecraft instrumentation?
Requirements
This project would suit a student with a bio- or geoscience background and with some expertise and experience of work in a microbiology laboratory. All other training will be provided.
Further Info & Apply
The application deadline is 12:00 on Monday, January 6, 2025 GMT
https://e4-dtp.ed.ac.uk/e5-dtp/supervisor-led-projects/project?item=1693
