Jennifer Eigenbrode is a astrobiologist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. Her current work involves looking for the origins of life in space. She believes that microbial life could have evolved on Mars. She joined The Science Analysis at Mars (SAM) in 2007 to work on the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL). Dr. Eigenbrode now contributes to the program working as an organic biochemist.[1]
Early life edit
Eigenbrode came from a family of engineers, setting her up for her life in the scientific world. She had always been intrigued by geology. The origins of the worlds landscape were a driving force for her undergraduate work. She attended James Madison University receiving her Bachelors in Geology in 1994. While continuing to explore the field of geology she received a Master’s in Geological Sciences from Indiana University in 1999.[1] Eigenbrode soon began to realize her interest lied not only in the geological aspects, but the microbial influences as well. She then attended Penn State University where her research was in part supported by the NASA Astrobiology Institute and Pennsylvania Space Grant Consortium. This began her ties with NASA, setting up for her future career there. She received the first Gerald A. Soffen student award from the NASA Astrobiology Institute in 2001, only furthering her ties with NASA. She received her Ph.D from Penn State in 2004.[1]
In her early career she worked with the U.S. Geological Survey, University of Texas Institute of Geophysics, and Shell Oil Company.
She also conducted post-doctoral work at Carnegie Fellowship at the Geophysical Laboratory of the Carnegie Institution of Science. Again she was partially supported by NASA. Her post-doctral work focused on biomolecule deposits and how past life influenced geological formations. She went to the Arctic in order to study cold weather microbes. This inspired an interest in Mars, where conditions were very similar. During this time she met the SAM team who had been looking into similar concepts as Eigenbrode. Finally in 2007 she joined NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center.[2]
Career edit
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Eigenbrode has been involved with Science Analysis at Mars (SAM). The group is investigating the Martian surface looking at gases and organic molecules. This work is done in hopes of understanding signs of life on Mars and what that means for origins of life on Earth. She is also involved with research into soda lake sediments.[2] This work is used to understand ancient sulfur lakes on the Martian surface. She is also involved with Signatures of Life in Ice (SLIce) project looking into microbes within glacial ice. This is in hopes to find microbial life within ice formations out in space in places such as Titan, Mars, and Europa. Arctic Mars Analog Svalbard Expedition (AMASE) is another project she is involved in, which is exploring the relationship of organic molecules and geological makeup of Mars.[2]
References edit
- ^ a b c "Women@NASA » Jennifer Eigenbrode". women.nasa.gov. Retrieved 2018-04-16.
- ^ a b c "Bio - Jennifer L Eigenbrode". science.gsfc.nasa.gov. Retrieved 2018-04-16.