NASA Astrobiology Postdoctoral Program

NASA Astrobiology Postdoctoral Program is sponsored by National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Provides postdoctoral opportunities in astrobiology, including environmental microbiology research.

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D. scientists and engineers of exceptional promise and ability to perform research on projects largely of their own choosing, yet compatible with the research interests of the NASA Astrobiology Program.

NASA Astrobiology Postdoctoral Program (NPP) A program to develop outstanding early career astrobiology researchers, broaden the scope of Astrobiology Program research, and continue to build and integrate the astrobiology community NASA Postdoctoral Management Program (NPMP) An adjunct to the NASA Postdoctoral Research Program designed to provide valuable experience in the management of scientific programs NASA Astrobiology Postdoctoral Program (NPP) Applications to the Astrobiology Program are accepted twice each year, though the Astrobiology Program does not participate in every application/award cycle.

For additional information about the program click the link below.

Astrobiology Fellows may act as ‘Ambassadors’ amongst the Exobiology Program, Planetary Science and Technology Through Analog Research, MatiSSE, PICASSO and the Habitable Worlds teams of researchers, the Research Coordination Networks (NExSS, NfoLD, Prebiotic Chemistry and Early Earth Environments (PCE3), Network for Ocean Worlds) , and between the Astrobiology Program and the broader scientific community, helping to define and lead the field of astrobiology.

The intent of this program is to develop outstanding early career astrobiology researchers, broaden the scope of Astrobiology Program research, and continue to build and integrate the astrobiology community. Selection priority will be given to applicants whose proposed research is particularly interdisciplinary and that extends the individual’s research beyond its current focus.

Fellowship Program Selections March 2025 Selections for the NASA Astrobiology Postdoctoral Fellowship Program Advisor: Marc Neveu, Exobiology: Biosignatures and Life Elsewhere Topic: Biosignature Preservation of Psychrophilic Organisms under Simulated Cryovolcanic Conditions on Icy Ocean Worlds Advisor: Kirtland Robinson Topic: Mapping Molecular Complexity for Agnostic Life Detection Advisor: Michael Way, ICAR – Habitability Space: Exploring a New Frontier via Climate Models and Planetary Statistics Topic: Ocean circulation and transport of biosignatures of icy moons Advisor: Partha Bera, ICAR – The Formation and Evolution of Prebiotic Organics in Extraterrestrial Environments: Exploring the Role of Astrochemistry in the Origin of Life Topic: Accurate Quantum Chemical Exploration of Adsorption, Diffusion, Desorption, and Reactivity of Radicals on Astrochemical Grains November 2024 Selections for the NASA Astrobiology Postdoctoral Fellowship Program Advisor: Tim Lyons, ICAR – Alternative Earths – How to Build and Sustain a Detectable Biosphere Topic: Extraterrestrial delivery of bio-essential metals as a possible driver of Archean biotic evolution and ecological expansion Advisor: Brook Nunn, Exobiology: Early Evolution of Life and the Biosphere Topic: An -omics Approach to Evaluating Biomarkers in Low-Biomass Subsurface Serpentinizing Ecosystems 2024 Selections for the NASA Astrobiology Postdoctoral Fellowship Program Advisor: Eddie Schwieterman ( ICAR – Alternative Earths – How to Build and Sustain a Detectable Biosphere ) Topic: “Using Methane Isotopologues to Illuminate Earth’s O2-CH4 History: Implications for Remote Biosignatures on Habitable Worlds” Advisor: Boswell Wing ( ICAR – Engine of Innovation: How Compartmentalization Drives Evolution of Novelty and Efficiency Across Scales ) Topic: “Exploring fermentation as a biogeochemical lever on the Great Oxidation Event” Advisor: Michael Kipp ( ICAR – Virtual Planetary Laboratory ) Topic: “Precambrian Phosphorites: Evidence of nutrient-rich oceans or local water mass chemistry?

” Advisor: Anne Dekas ( RCN – What life wants: Exploring the Natural Selection of Elements ) Topic: “Life’s vital elements: molybdenum uptake as a case study of the requirements for habitability” 2023 Selections for the NASA Astrobiology Postdoctoral Fellowship Program Advisor: Simone Marchi ( Habitable Worlds ) Topic: “Examining Early Mars Habitability Through Load-Corrected Paleo-Ocean Levels” Advisor: Stephen Kane ( Habitable Worlds ) Topic: “Star-Planet Connections: Effects of Stellar Activity on Exoplanet Demographics and Atmospheres” Advisor: Alyssa Rhoden ( Habitable Worlds ) Topic: “Probing the Presence and Lifespan of Oceans on Saturn’s Mid-Sized Moons Using Large Impact Basins” Advisor: Kimberly Lau ( Exobiology: Evolution of Advanced Life ) Topic: “Sulfur, calcium, and climate: Evaporite deposition as a carbon cycle driver” Advisor: Karyn Rogers ( RCN – The Prebiotic Chemistry and Early Earth Environments Consortium (PCE3) ) Topic: “Coupling Early Earth Organic Haze Chemistry to Prebiotic Aqueous Environments” Advisor: Irene Chen ( ICAR- Emergence of a Complex Biochemical System: Evolutionary Paths to Coded Protein Synthesis ) Topic: “Effect of dynamic prebiotic conditions on the evolution of self-aminoacylating ribozymes” November 2022 Selections for the NASA Astrobiology Postdoctoral Fellowship Program Advisor: Shelley Copley, U Colorado, Boulder ( Exobiology: Early Evolution of Life and the Biosphere ) Topic: “Evolution of metabolic pathways” Advisor: Christine Keating ( Exobiology: Prebiotic Evolution ) Topic: “Increasing the compositional heterogeneity of hybrid protocells and evaluating its implications for their sustenance and functioning” Advisor: Ramanarayanan Krishnamurthy ( Exobiology: Prebiotic Evolution ) Topic: “Investigating the feasibility of protometabolic reactions within model protocells” Advisor: Hilke Schlichting ( RCN – NexSS: CLEVER Planets – Cycles of Life-Essential Volatile Elements on Rocky Planets ) Topic: “Exoplanets and the Chemical Road to the Radius Gap” Advisor: Betul Kacar ( RCN – What life wants: Exploring the Natural Selection of Elements ) Topic: “Exploring the co-evolution of nitrogen fixation machinery and the environment” 2022 Selections for the NASA Astrobiology Postdoctoral Fellowship Program Advisor: Dorian Abbot, University of Chicago ( Habitable Worlds ) Topic: “Weathering the Storm: How Has Earth Stayed Habitable for Billions of Years?

” Advisor: Simone Marchi, Southwest Research Institute ( Habitable Worlds ) Topic: “Modeling Impact-Induced Hydrothermal Systems on Mars.

” Advisor: Aaron Noell, Jet Propulsion Laboratory ( Exobiology : Biosignatures and Life Elsewhere ) Topic: “Preservation of Cellular and Organic Biosignatures Under Ocean World Surface Conditions” Advisor: Peter Girguis, Harvard University ( RCN – The Network for Ocean Worlds (NOW) – Exploring Ocean Worlds) Topic: “Energetic Costs of Life in Extreme Environments” 2020 Selections for the NASA Astrobiology Postdoctoral Fellowship Program Topic: “Exploring universal signs of life in the geological record on Earth” Advisor: Debashish Bhattacharya, Rutgers University ( Exobiology : Early Evolution of Life and the Biosphere) Topic: “Emergence of genomic novelty in early eukaryotes driven by horizontal gene transfer with viruses: tempo, mode and units of transfer” Topic: “Linking methanogen activity and biomarkers across diverse ocean habitats” Advisor: Loren Williams, Georgia Institute of Technology ( RCN – Prebiotic Chemistry: Center for the Origin of Life (COOL)) Topic: “On the origins and evolution of the first folded protein domains” Advisor: Frank Corsetti, University of Southern California ( Exobiology : Early Evolution of Life and the Biosphere) Topic: “Informing metabolic drivers of microbial mat lithification through in situ activity and stable isotope measurements” Advisor: Brandy Toner, University of Minnesota ( RCN: Network for Ocean Worlds (NOW) – Exploring Ocean Worlds) Topic: “Solving for all possible seawater compositions on ocean worlds to reveal candidate mission measurements.

” Topic: “Agnostic Life Detection from Measurements to Theory” 2019 Selections for the NASA Astrobiology Postdoctoral Fellowship Program Advisor: Paul Falkowski, Rutgers University ( NAI Rutgers University Team: ENIGMA – Evolution of Nanomachines Geospheres and Microbial Ancestors team) Topic: “Origin and evolution of proteins as catalysts of metabolism” Advisor: Chris German, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (Planetary Science and Technology Through Analog Research, ( PSTAR )) Topic: “Organic Nitrogen Compounds as Temperature, pH, and Redox Indicators for Icy Ocean Worlds” Advisor: Conor Nixon, Goddard Space Flight Center ( NAI Jet Propulsion Laboratory Team – Habitability of Hydrocarbon Worlds: Titan and Beyond team) Topic: “Submillimeter Observations of Titan’s Atmosphere: Implications for Astrobiology” Advisor: Andy Ridgwell, University of California, Riverside ( NAI University of California, Riverside Team – Alternative Earths) Topic: “Ocean redox, nutrient availability, and the evolution of Earth’s biosphere” Advisor: Janice Bishop, SETI Institute ( NAI SETI Institute team) Topic: “Exploring hydrated minerals and cryosalts on Mars by bridging laboratory analogues with Martian orbit data” Advisor: Chris Reinhard, Georgia Institute of Technology ( NAI University of California, Riverside Team – Alternative Earths) Topic: “The oxygenation of a habitable world: Evaluating the dynamics and stability of Earth’s oxygen cycle” Advisor: Hilke Schlichting, University of California: Los Angeles ( RCN : NExSS – Nexus for Exoplanet System Science: CLEVER Planets – Cycles of Life-Essential Volatile Elements on Rocky Planets) Topic: “Interactions between Primary and Secondary Atmospheres: Impacts on the Retention and Loss of Volatiles on Rocky Planets” Advisor: Beth Orcutt, Bigelow Labs ( Exobiology : Early Evolution of Life and the Biosphere) Topic: “Applying Single Cell Isotope Approaches to Lost City Samples to Link Extremophile Phylogeny and Physiology” 2018 Selections for the NASA Astrobiology Postdoctoral Fellowship Program Advisor: Chris Keating, Pennsylvania State University ( Exobiology : Prebiotic Evolution) Topic: “Impact of the Wet/Dry Cycle on Protocells” Advisor: Betul Kacar, University of Arizona ( NAI Georgia Institute of Technology team – Reliving the Past) Topic: “The deep history of nitrogenases: Connecting the geochemical record of nitrogen fixation to isotopic signatures” Advisor: Tim Lyons, U California, Riverside ( NAI , Alternative Earths) Topic: “Evolution of atmospheric O2 and CO2 driven by planetary tectonics” Advisor: Yana Bromberg, Rutgers University ( NAI , Evolution of Nanomachines Geospheres and Microbial Ancestors (ENIGMA)) Topic: “Linking Life and Earth with Deep Transfer Learning” Advisor: George Fox, Rutgers University of Houston ( RCN – Prebiotic Chemistry: Center for the Origin of Live (COOL)) Topic: “On the early evolution of the translational apparatus, a structural insight” 2017 Selections for the NASA Astrobiology Postdoctoral Fellowship Program Advisor: Ramanarayanan Krishnamurthy, The Scripps Research Institute, ( Exobiology : Prebiotic Evolution) Topic: “Emergence of RNA: Peptide based prebiotic catalysts for the phosphorylation, polymerization, ligation and replication of RNA monomers and oligomers” Advisor: Britney Schmidt, Georgia Institute of Technology (Planetary Science and Technology Through Analog Research, ( PSTAR )) Topic: “Digital Holographic Microscopy on the Icefin Underwater Antarctic Vehicle: Technology & Science Development for Icy Worlds” Advisor: Jennifer Glass, Georgia Institute of Technology ( NAI University of California, Riverside Team – Alternative Earths) Topic: “Synthetic microbial communities as a tool to understand metabolic success: the role of microbial interactions leading to the Great Oxidation Event” Advisor: Will Ratcliff, Georgia Institute of Technology ( Exobiology : Evolution of Advanced Life) Topic: “Experimentally investigating the origin and consequences of fitness decoupling during the transition to multicellularity” Advisor: Jun Korenaga, Yale U ( NAI U California, Riverside team) Topic: “Early Earth Geodynamics and Continental Evolution” Advisor: Tanja Bosak ( NAI Massachusetts Institute of Technology team) Topic: “Arsenic based metabolisms in the open ocean: an unexplored frontier” Advisor: Amanda Stockton, Georgia Institute of Technology ( PICASSO ) Topic: “Development of a programmable, comprehensive ionic species analyzer (ISA) for fully automated characterization of hydrated salts on the surface of Europa” Advisor: Jack Szostak, Harvard U ( Exobiology : Prebiotic Evolution) Topic: “Robust protocell growth and division” 2016 Selections for the NASA Astrobiology Postdoctoral Fellowship Program Advisor: Simone Marchi, U Colorado Boulder ( Habitable Worlds ) Topic: “Modeling the Origin and Evolution of Habitable Environments in Post-Impact Hydrothermal Systems Beneath Martian Craters” Advisor: David Catling, University of Washington ( Habitable Worlds ) Topic: “Habitability of ancient martian dunes” Advisor: Loren Williams, Georgia Institute of Technology ( Exobiology : Prebiotic Evolution) Topic: “Prebiotic Self-Assembly of plausible proto-depsipeptides” Advisor: James Lyons, (Arizona State University, Exobiology ) Topic: “Explaining isotope fractionation of sulphur in the Archean atmosphere” Advisor: J.

Michael Brown/Steve Vance (University of Washington, NAI , NASAJPL Icy Worlds team) Project: “Comprehensive thermodynamics of aqueous solutions and ice for understanding the habitability of extraterrestrial oceans” Advisor: Timothy Lyons (University of California, NAI Riverside team) Topic: “Visualizing Alternative Earths Through Time and Space” Elizabeth Trembath-Reichert Advisor: Jan Amend ( NAI University of Southern California team) Topic: “Stable Isotope Probing and NanoSIMS to determine single cell activity in North Pond basalt-hosted microbial communities” Advisor: Vaughn Cooper (University of Pittsburgh, NAI University of Montana, Missoula team) Topic: “Diversification and evolution of synergy in microbial biofilms” 2015 Selections for the NASA Astrobiology Postdoctoral Fellowship Program Advisor: Noah Planavsky ( NAI , University of California, Riverside Team, Yale University) Topic: “Integrated geochemical-petrographic insights on Earth’s oxygenation from Precambrian carbonates” Advisor: Mark Martindale ( Exobiology , University of Florida) Topic: “Investigating the early evolution of neuronal signaling mechanisms in animals” Advisor: John McCutcheon ( NAI , University of Montana, Missoula team) Topic: “Swapping partners mid-dance: Symbiotic replacement in a tightly integrated intrabacterial, intracellular nested mutualism” Advisor: Shuhei Ono ( NAI , University of Colorado, Boulder team, Massachusetts Institute of Technology) Topic: “Methane and sulfur isotope biogeochemistry of terrestrial serpentinizing fluid seeps in the Zambales ophiolite complex” Barbara Lafuente Valverde Advisor: Thomas Bristow, NASA Ames Research Center ( Habitable Worlds ) Topic: “Use of clay minerals as paleoenvironmental indicators of the origin of Ediacaran multicellular life in the Doushantuo Formation” Advisor: Chris Reinhard, Georgia Institute of Technology ( NAI , University of California, Riverside team) Topic: “New Quantitative Approaches Toward Understanding The Life History Of An Inhabited Planet” Astrobiology Science Conference, June 15-19, 2015 Click here to read the report of activities from current and former NPP Fellows that gathered at the 2015 AbSciCon.

2014 Selections for the NASA Astrobiology Postdoctoral Fellowship Program Advisor: Nick Hud (Georgia Institute of Technology, Exobiology : Prebiotic Evolution) Topic: “Investigation and Polymerization of Supramolecular Assemblies of Triazine, Purine, and Pyrimidine Derivatives in the search for proto-RNA” Advisor: Ariel Anbar (Arizona State University, Exobiology : Early Evolution of Life and the Biosphere) Topic: “The Cycling of Nitrogen and Transition Metals in Low Oxygen Greenhouse Oceans: Evidence From Redox Proxies, Metal Abundances, and Molybdenum/Nitrogen Isotopes” Advisor: William Inskeep and Matthew Fields (Montana State University) Topic: “Insights into a Primitive Microbial Metabolism—Dissimilatory Iron Reducing Methanogenesis: Gene Expression, Low Energy Survival, and Isotopic Biosignatures” Advisor: Francis MacDonald (Harvard University, NAI , Massachusetts Institute of Technology team) Topic: “Constraining the rise of eukaryvory and biomineralization in Neoproterozoic heterotrophic protists“ Read Alan’s paper in Geology , A Cryogenian chronology: Two long-lasting synchronous Neoproterozoic glaciation Advisor: Andy Knoll (Harvard University, NAI , Massachusetts Institute of Technology team) Topic: “Resolving Early Eukaryotic Evolution with Ultrastructure of Neoproterozoic Microfossils” Advisor: Ram Krishnamurthy (Scripps Research Institute, Exobiology : Prebiotic Evolution) Topic: “Study of a Novel Acyclic Oligonucleotide as an RNA Progenitor and Mimic” Advisor: Victoria Meadows ( NAI , Virtual Planetary Laboratory at the University of Washington) Topic: ”3D Modeling of the Cloudy/Hazy Atmospheres of the Early Earth and Exoplanets” Advisor: Roger Buick ( NAI , Virtual Planetary Laboratory at the University of Washington) Topic: ”Zinc isotopes in ancient lakes: calibrating a biogeochemical proxy and investigating the importance of non-marine environments for the early evolution of life” Advisor: Victoria Orphan (Caltech, NAI , University of Southern California team) Topic: ”In situ detection and activity of the ‘intraterrestrials’” 2013 Selections for the NASA Astrobiology Postdoctoral Fellowship Program Advisor: Rachel Whitaker ( NAI , University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign) Topic: ”Unraveling the impact of ecological selection pressures on the archaeal pangenome” Advisor: David Johnston ( NAI , Massachusetts Institute of Technology) Topic: “Sulfur isotope variability associated with storm-induced environmental changes in modern lakes: a novel approach for calibrating sulfate levels in ancient oceans” Advisor: Jack Szostak ( Exobiology : Prebiotic Evolution) Topic: “Enhancing the efficiency of non-enzymatic RNA replication on protocell membranes” Advisor: Frank Rosenzweig ( Exobiology : Early Evolution of Life and the Biosphere) Topic: “Co-Evolution of Escherichia coli and its parasite Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus: An experimental model for Eukaryogenesis” Advisor: David Catling ( NAI , Virtual Planetary Laboratory at the University of Washington) Topic: Investigations of low-temperature liquid, viscous, and glassy states important for astrobiology on Mars and other icy bodies 2012 Selections for the NASA Astrobiology Postdoctoral Fellowship Program Advisor: Isik Kanik ( NAI , JPL Icy Worlds Team) Topic: “Proton Motive Force and Electrochemistry: The Essence of Extant Life and the Driving Forces for Life’s Origin” Advisor: Jamie Elsila-Cook ( NAI , Goddard Center for Astrobiology Team) Topic: “Assessment of Isotopic Ratios and Enantiomeric Excess of Neutral Compounds and Amines Found on Carbonaceous Chondrites” Advisor: Ramanarayanan Krishnamurthy ( Exobiology : Prebiotic Evolution) Topic: “Non-Enzymatic Glycosylation of DNA Nucleobases to Develop Potentially Prebiotic Nucleic Acid Alternatives” Advisor: Timothy Lyons ( Exobiology , NAI , Arizona State University Team) Topic: “The fate of molybdenum and its isotopes in deep, oxide-rich marine sediments: Implications for the Mo paleoproxy and oxygen in the ancient ocean” Advisor: Andrew Knoll ( NAI , MIT Team) Topic: “Reconciling Ecological and Geochemical Triggers of the Cambrian Radiation” Advisor: Jennifer Macalady ( NAI , Pennsylvania State University Team) Topic: “The Role of Biology in Planetary Evolution: Microbial Primary Production in Proterozoic Oceans” Advisor: Richard Lenski ( NAI , University of Illinois-Champaign Team) Topic: “Black Queen Evolution of Nitrogen Fixation and Its Impact on the Archean Biosphere” Advisor: Andrew Knoll ( NAI , Massachusetts Institute of Technology Team) Topic: “Species’ interactions with a dynamic planet and the impact on the evolution of multicellular life” Advisor: Ralf Kaiser ( NAI , University of Hawaii Team) Topic: “A Molecular Beams Study on the Formation and Photo-Stability of Polycyclic Aromatic Nitrogen Heterocycles (PAHNs) in the Interstellar Medium” 2011 Selections for the NASA Astrobiology Postdoctoral Fellowship Program Aaron Engelhart , Georgia Tech Advisor: Jack Szostak ( Exobiology : Prebiotic Evolution, Mass General/ Harvard) Topic: “Experimental Models of a Key Step in Prebiotic Compartmentalization: Coupling Vesicle Growth and Nucleic Acid Synthesis” Svetlana Berdyugina , ETH Zurich Advisor: Karen Meech (NAI University of Hawaii Team) Topic: “Hot Water in Exoplanets and Protoplanetary Disks” Aaron Goldman , University of Washington Advisor: Laura Landweber at Princeton University (NAI Georgia Tech Team) Topic: “ORGOS: A Database and Unified Organizational Framework to Aggregate, Evaluate, and Advance Origin of Life Research” Jordan Okie , University of New Mexico Advisors: Everett Shock, (Exobiology: Early Evolution of Life and the Biosphere, Arizona State University) and Tori Hoehler (NAI, NASA Ames Team ) Topic: “Thermodynamic and Kinetic Constraints on Metabolic Diversity: Quantifying the Biogeochemical Niche Space of Life” Royal Society Publication : Niche and metabolic principles explain patterns of diversity and distribution: theory and a case study with soil bacterial communities Advisor: Roger Summons, MIT Topic: “Investigating the Biological Function of Sterols and Hopanoids in Methylococcus capsulatus” Advisor: Frank Rosenzweig, University of Montana Topic: “Theoretical and Experimental Investigations into the Evolution of Complexity” Advisor: Eric Gaucher, Georgia Institute of Technology Topic: “The Role of Chance and Necessity in Evolution: An Experimental Model to Discover Life’s Solutions” Advisor: John Grotzinger, Cal Tech Topic: “High-Resolution Mineral Stratigraphy of Mars” Co-Advisors: Suzie Allard (University of Tennessee) and Ed Goolish (NAI Central) Topic: “The Collaborative Practices of the NASA Astrobiology Institute: The Assessment of an Interdisciplinary Virtual Scientific Organization” 2010 Selections for the NASA Astrobiology Postdoctoral Fellowship Program Advisor: Victoria Orphan, Cal Tech Topic: “Metal Bioavailability and Biosignatures in Methane-based Ecosystems” Advisor: Paul Davies , Arizona State University Topic: “First Life: Understanding Emergent Self-Replication through Informational Analysis of Self-Organization in Prebiotic Chemical Reaction-Diffusion Networks” 2009 Selections for the NASA Astrobiology Postdoctoral Fellowship Program Advisor: Julie Huber at the Marine Biological Laboratory Topic: “Habitability in Extreme Environments: Microbial Function and Activity in Deep and Shallow Marine Hydrothermal Systems” Advisor: Roger Summons and George Cody, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Carnegie Institution of Washington, respectively Topic: “Polymeric Biosignatures In Organismic Fossils And Environmental Controls On Their Preservation” Advisor: David Bish, Indiana University Topic: “Hydrated sulfate minerals: a habitat for Martian microorganisms?

” Advisor: John Peters, Montana State University Topic: “Methanogenic Activity in Subglacial Ecosystems: Molecular Insight into Life-Sustaining Processes in Extraterrestrial Environments” Advisor: George Cody, Carnegie Institution of Washington Topic: “A Search for Potentially Replicable Prebiotic Molecules” Advisor: Ralf Kaiser, University of Hawaii Topic: “Exploring the Astrobiological Significance of Ices of Kuiper Belt Objects” Advisor: Alycia Weinberger, Carnegie Institution of Washington Topic: “Forecasting Life: How is Space Weather Affecting Habitable Zones in Extrasolar Planets?

” Advisor: Matthew Schrenk, The Carnegie Institution of Washington and East Carolina University Topic: “Tracing energy, carbon, and nitrogen flow in serpentinization-fueled microbial ecosystems” Advisor: Eric Alm, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Team Topic: “Reconstructing the Evolution of Protein Synthesis: A Novel Compositional Approach for Studying Early Life and the Emergence of Complexity” Advisors: Linda Jahnke and Ken Stedman, NASA Ames Research Center and Portland State University Topic: “Viral Preservation within Terrestrial Hot Springs” Advisors: Ariel Anbar and Ronald Oremland, Arizona State University Team and the USGS Topic: “Arsenic and Old Life: Novel Geo-biochemistry of Arsenic in Biological Systems” 2008 Selections for the NASA Astrobiology Postdoctoral Fellowship Program Advisor: Andrew Steele, Carnegie Institution of Washington Topic: “Experimental Investigations on the Effects of Diagenesis on the Formation of Fe,Ti-oxides (Pseudorutile) in Microfossils: Using Minerals as Biosignatures in Ancient Rocks” Advisor: Jim Kasting, Pennsylvania State University Topic: “Biogenic Sulfur – from Biospheres to Biosignatures” 2007 Selections for the NASA Astrobiology Postdoctoral Fellowship Program Advisor: Roger Buick, University of Washington , NAI , University of Arizona Team Topic: “Mass-dependent and mass-independent fractionation of selenium isotopes on the early Earth: a probe of planetary oxygenation” Advisor: Lynn Rothschild, NAI , Ames Research Center Team Topic: “Tolerance of tardigrades to extremes: Implications for the existence of multicellular organisms in extraterrestrial environments” Advisor: Nancy Kiang, NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, University of Washington/VPL Team Topic: “Molecular-Environmental Limits of Terrestrial Photosynthesis: Implications for Extrasolar Biosignatures” 2006 Selections for the NASA Astrobiology Postdoctoral Fellowship Program Advisor: Stephen Mojzsis, NAI University of Colorado Topic: “Habitability of Early Earth: Thermal Modeling of the Lithosphere During the Late Heavy Bombardment” Advisor: Andreas Teske, NAI Marine Biological Laboratory (UNC Chapel Hill) Topic: “Molecular and Metabolic Characterization of Uncultivated Archael Groups of the subsurface” Advisor: Alex Pavlov, University of Arizona Topic: “Three-Dimensional Modeling of Habitable Zones and the Paleoclimates of the Terrestrial Planets” Advisor: Jonathon Lunine, University of Arizona Topic: “An investigation to the Relationship of Phosphorus and Sulfur Cosmochemistry to the Origin of Life” 2005 August Review Selections for the NASA Astrobiology Postdoctoral Fellowship Program Sean Raymond , University of Washington Advisor: John Bally , NAI Team, University of Colorado Title: “Comet Clouds, Terrestrial Impacts, and the Habitability of Planets in the Galaxy” Shannon Hinsa , Dartmouth Advisor: James Tiedje , NAI Team: Michigan State University Title: “Understanding How Psychrobacter sp.

273-4 is Able to Live in Siberian Permafrost” Melissa Trainer , University of Colorado Advisor: Owen B.

Toon , NAI Team, University of Colorado Title: “The Evaluation of CO2 Clathrate Hydrate as a Possible Sink for Methane in the Martian Atmosphere: Fusing Laboratory Results with a Developing Mars General Circulation Model” 2005 February Review Selections for the NASA Astrobiology Postdoctoral Fellowship Program Feng Tian , University of Colorado Advisor: James Kasting, Pennsylvania State University, NAI Team: The Virtual Planetary Laboratory Title: “Hydrodynamic Escape from Planetary Atmospheres” Elise Furlan , Cornell University Advisor: Andrea Ghez, NAI Team: University of California, Los Angeles Title: “Exploring the Birthplaces of Planets at High Angular Resolution in the Mid-infrared from the Ground and from Space” Matthew Owen Schrenk , University of Washington Advisor: George Cody, NAI Team: Carnegie Institution of Washington Title: “High-temperature, High-pressure Microcosms to Study the Bio-molecular Basis for the Upper Temperature Limits to Life” 2004 August Review Selections for the NASA Astrobiology Postdoctoral Fellowship Program Evgenya Shkolnik , University of British Columbia Advisor: Eric Gaidos, NAI Team: University of Hawaii, Manoa Title: “Hot Jupiters, Hot Spots and Characterization of Extrasolar Planets” Brandy Toner , University of California, Berkeley Advisor: Katrina Edwards, NAI Team: Marine Biological Laboratory Title: “Low Temperature Weathering of Hydro-thermal Metal-Sulfide Deposits by Iron-Oxidizing Bacteria in the Deep-Sea” Jinling Huang , University of Georgia Advisor: Johann Gogarten, NAI Team: Marine Biological Laboratory Title: “Horizontal Gene Transfer in the Evolution of Early Branching Eukaryotes” 2004 February Review Selections for the NASA Astrobiology Postdoctoral Fellowship Program Julie A.

Huber , University of Washington Advisor: Mitchell Sogin, NAI Team: Marine Biological Laboratory Title: “The Distribution of Early Life into Geographically Distinct Subseafloor Microbial Habitats: A Metagenomic Strategy” Margaret C. Turnbull , University of Arizona Advisor: Sara Seager, NAI Team: Carnegie Institution of Washington Title: “Habitable Worlds in the Solar Neighborhood” Jamie E.

Elsila , Stanford University Advisor: Max Bernstein, NAI Team: NASA Ames Research Center Title: “Reactions of Aromatics in Extraterrestrial Ice Analogs: Potential Chemical Precursors of Life and False Biosignatures” Aline Gendri , University of Paris Advisor: John Mustard, Brown University, NAI Team: Marine Biological Laboratory Title: “The Tinto River, Spain: A Terrestrial Analogue for Martian Exobiology” 2003 August Review Selections for the NASA Astrobiology Postdoctoral Fellowship Program Advisor: Michael Thomashow, NAI Team: Michigan State University Title: “How Low Can They Grow?

Bacterial Physiology at Subzero Temperature” Advisor: Jack Szostak, Massachusetts General Hospital, NAI Team: Harvard University Title: “Directed Evolution of an RNA Polymerase Ribozyme that Utilizes Highly Activated Monomers” Advisor: James Ferry, NAI Team: Pennsylvania State University Title: “Oxygen Adaptation in the Anaerobic Methanogenic Archaeon Methanosarcina acetivorans” 2003 February Review Selections for the NASA Astrobiology Postdoctoral Fellowship Program Advisor: Andrew Knoll, NAI Team: Harvard University Title: “The Oxygen Isotopic Composition of Proterozoic Seawater Sulfate: Implications for the Evolution of Earth’s Atmosphere” Advisor: Victoria Meadows, NAI Team: Jet Propulsion Laboratory Title: “Light-Curves and Disk-Averaged Spectra for Terrestrial Planets” 2002 Selections for the NASA Astrobiology Postdoctoral Fellowship Program Susannah Malia McGuire Porter Advisor: Bruce Runnegar, NAI Team: University of California, Los Angeles Title: “Constraining the Effects of Preservational Bias on the “Cambrian Explosion”: The Early Animal Fossil Record of Australia” Advisor: Peter Ward, NAI Team: University of Washington Title: “A Geochemical Study of Marine and Terrestrial Environments Across the Permian-Triassic and Triassic-Jurassic Extinction Events” Advisor: Robert Blankenship, NAI Team: Arizona State University Title: “The Evolutionary Connection Between Photosynthesis and Nitrogen Fixation” Advisor: Jennifer Wernegreen, NAI Team: Marine Biological Laboratory Title: “Genomic Determination of Parasitism and Mutualism in Bacterial Endosymbionts” Advisor: Conel Alexander, NAI Team: Carnegie Institution of Washington Title: “Re-Os Isotopic Study of Hydrothermal Processes in Ordinary Chondrites” Advisor: Richard Castenholz, University of Oregon, NAI Team: Ames Research Center Title: “The Evolution of Desiccation Tolerance in Cyanobacteria” 2001 Selections for the NASA Astrobiology Postdoctoral Fellowship Program Advisor: Laurie Leshin (NAI Team: Arizona State University) Title: “Chasing Water on Mars: A Geochemical Approach Utilizing Martian Meteorites” Advisor: Owen Toon (NAI Team: University of Colorado, Boulder) Title: “Organic and Sulfur Hazes in the Archean Atmosphere: Climate and Photochemical Consequences” Advisor: Andrew Knoll (NAI Team: Harvard University) Title: “The Use of Living Plants and Fossil Chemistry to Study the Morphological Patterns and Developmental Processes of Land Plant Evolution” Advisor: Russell Hemley (NAI Team: Carnegie Institution of Washington) Title: “Stability of Organic Material in Icy Satellites” Advisor: Norman Pace (NAI Team: University of Colorado, Boulder) Title: “Diversity and Function of the Sulfur-Cycling Community in Hypersaline Microbial Mats” Advisor: Bruce Jakosky (NAI Team: University of Colorado, Boulder) Title: “Identification and Study of Hydrothermal Systems on Mars Through Remote Sensing” 2000 Selections for the NASA Astrobiology Postdoctoral Fellowship Program Advisor: Steven Benner, University of Florida (NAI Team: Scripps Research Institute) Title: “Using Functional Genomics to Infer the Biology and Chemistry of the Last Common Ancestor” Advisor: Andrew Knoll (NAI Team: Harvard University) Title: “Environmental Changes in the Context of Biological Evolution During Neoproterozoic on the Yangtze Platform, a Snowball Earth?

” Advisor: Mitchell Sogin (NAI Team: The Marine Biological Laboratory) Title: “Physiological Regulation of Cytosolic pH in a Eukaryotic Acidophile” Advisor: David Peterson (NAI Team: NASA Ames Research Center) Title: “Linking Earth Science and Astrobiology: Surface Hydrology and Microbial Ecology for Global Semi-Arid Ecosystems” Advisor: Andreas Teske, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute (NAI Team: The Marine Biological Laboratory) Title: “Hyperthermophiles of the Hydrothermal Vent Subsurface: Limits of Life and Extraterrestrial Analogs” Advisor: David McKay (NAI Team: NASA Johnson Space Center) Title: “Immunoassay Life Detection Test NASA Postdoctoral Management Program Cathodoluminescence image of dolomite marine cements showing well-preserved chemical zonation(left).

Photo of Devonian shallow marine carbonates under cathodoluminescence (right). The NASA Postdoctoral Management Program (NPMP) is an adjunct to the NASA Postdoctoral Research Program and is designed to provide valuable experience in the management of scientific programs.

NPMP Fellows generally work with NASA program scientists at NASA Headquarters on a wide range of programmatic activities involving various aspects in the management of a research and analysis program, analyzing the