[email protected]; 202-478-8974; Office: R-243; 5251 Broad Branch Road., N.W. The search for life cannot be accomplished with confidence in one particular measurement and as such multiple analysis techniques must be used on the same sample to give a convincing answer. Steele has developed several instrument and mission concepts for future Mars miss…
Andrew Steele is an astrobiologist at the Geophysical Laboratory at Carnegie Institution for Science. Principally I use a combination of light microscopy with high resolution scanning confocal Raman spectroscopy to initially survey samples of interest. I have been instrumental in developing several of the latter techniques for robust use in field conditions and was a part of a team using non-culture based methods on the International Space Station. At this time this work has involved bioinformatics research into the nature of protein nucleic acid interactions that could have led to the first proto-life molecular constructs that led to information exchange and storage under the conditions that formed life on earth. My current work is focussing on what appears to be an explanation for reduced carbon species within the terrestrial and Martian mantles, following the unambiguous discovery of organic carbon in Martian meteorites. Furthermore, in an effort to continue setting an abiotic baseline for the detection of life myself and collaborators have been undertaking high pressure and temperature experiments into organic carbon production during the cooling of silicate melts. Astrobiology; planetary science; using traditional and biotechnological approaches for the detection of microbial life in astrobiology and solar system exploration Academics . Andrew Steele uses traditional and biotechnological approaches for the detection of microbial life in the field of astrobiology and Solar System exploration. Astrobiology; planetary science; using traditional and biotechnological approaches for the detection of microbial life in astrobiology and solar system exploration, B.S., Microbiology and Biochemistry, University of Central Lancashire, UK, 1992; Ph.D., Biotechnology, University of Portsmouth, UK, 1996. Carnegie Institution for Science. Washington, DC 20015-1305, US

This year I have also been part of the COSAC instrument team onboard the Philae lander on the ESA Rosetta mission. These studies will continue and extend my current mission involvement in the Curiosity and Rosetta missions to the Mars 2020 mission as a co-investigator on the SHELOC instrument and hopefully after samples return from Mars.

Privacy Policy. Andrew Steele uses traditional and biotechnological approaches for the detection of microbial life in astrobiology and solar system exploration. It is my goal to transport this in-silico work into a number of laboratory experiments that would shed light on the origin of protein / nucleic acid interactions. My laboratory work has concentrated on samples as diverse as Apex chert, Strelley pool chert, Isua, Akilia, Gunflint samples as well as mantle xenoliths, fossil lagerstatten (Enspel, Messel) Martian meteorites, Apollo return samples, ordinary and carbonaceous chondrites, Stardust, ureilites and inclusions in diamonds. Currently I am also a co-investigator on the Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument onboard the Curiosity. My duties have been to rapidly assess data products and help in the development of science plans to undertake the search for organic material on Mars. Andrew Steele Staff Scientist. My future goals are to continue to address the problems of early and extraterrestrial life detection using all the tools at my disposal.
He received a Ph.D. in biotechnology from the University of Portsmouth, U.K. in 1996, and a B.S. B.S., Microbiology and Biochemistry, University of Central Lancashire, UK, 1992; Ph.D., Biotechnology, University of Portsmouth, UK, 1996. Research Interests. By following the trail of abiotic carbon I have also become very interested in the terrestrial and Martian deep carbon cycles. Due to this I have developed the capability to use and interpret data from a wide range of instrumental techniques including; Atomic Force Microscopy, Scanning and Transmission Electron Microscopy, FTIR spectroscopy, Isotope Ratio Mass Spectroscopy, Time of Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry, Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry, Electron and Ion Microprobes, X-ray elemental and Diffraction analysis (EDX and XRD), microbial culturing and aseptic technique, biomolecule extraction, DNA amplification, Lab-on-a-chip microfluidic capillary electrophoresis and metabolism and endotoxin analysis. The main focus behind my research has been the development of scientific and measurement criteria for the unambiguous detection of life in early earth and Mars samples and future robotic and sample return missions to Mars as well as missions to Europa and Enceladus. This instrument initially funded for a short feasibility study by the DCO has become a commercial reality and this kind of cutting edge technology would address many of my own and my colleagues science problems.