NAI Director’s Discretionary Fund

Two BMSIS scientists have been selected for a 2015 DDF award through the NASA Astrobiology Institute!

Dr. Laurie Barge (JPL) has been selected for her proposal, “Catalytic Diversity at the Emergence of Metabolism: Hydrothermal Carbon Dioxide Reduction on Fe/Ni-Sulfide Catalysts.” Dr. Barge will lead a team of investigators to simulate hydrothermal vent systems in an effort to understand the potential role of these environments in the origin of life.

Eddie Schwieterman (University of Washington) has been selected for his proposal, “Did the Proterozoic Earth have remotely detectable O₃, CH₄ and N₂O? Implications for Terrestrial Exoplanet Analogs and the Search for Life Outside the Solar System.” Schwieterman will lead collaborations with several astrobiology teams to investigate the possibility that some of these gases on early Earth might contributed to a strong and detectable spectral biosignature.

Congratulations to Laurie, Eddie, and their teams!