Faculty research in geobiology combines field research in extreme environments (hot marine vents, continental deeply-sourced spring environments, caustic groundwaters, deep dark subsurface rocks accessed through scientific drilling). Description and interpretation of field sites informs microbial bioenergetic modeling and often utilizes environmental microbiology tools to understand microbe-mineral interactions.
URI geobiology-focused students receive a broad background in Earth and environmental sciences, with collaborating mentors in Biological Sciences, Natural Resources Science, Civil Engineering, and the Graduate School of Oceanography. Fieldwork in regional (coastal Rhode Island, western Massachusetts, northern Maine) and far off locations (California, US; Turkey; Philippines; Oman; shipboard expeditions in the Gulf of California) necessarily include benchtop laboratory components. Current students employ analytical tools such as x-ray diffraction, x-ray fluorescence, Fourier Transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and electron probe microanalysis to resolve critical questions in geobiology. Modeling context for environment research relies on the EQ3_6 modeling platform, Geochemist’s Workbench, and USGS -released programs.
Faculty
