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Description:

The MUSE (Metal Utilization and Selection across Eons) team explores the natural selection of the chemical elements during the coevolution of life and environment on early Earth, focusing on the history of metal use in the biological nitrogen (N) cycle. Our research program addresses the limitations in our understanding by studying the evolution of metal use in nitrogen fixation over Earth s history. On any Earth-like world, life will need to obtain nitrogen from inorganic sources. But will the same metals be required in all cases? By deepening our ability to answer this question, our program will help us understand what makes an environment habitable, which is of high astrobiological importance. 

Our research approach integrates the traditionally disparate fields of geochemistry, geobiology, paleogenetics, experimental evolution, and artificial biology toward a common goal of understanding the evolution of metal requirements in biological nitrogen fixation. These field-based, experimental, and in silico investigations connect the planetary and molecular scales, as well as independent geochemical and molecular records of ancient life. We test specific hypotheses targeting currently unknown metal availabilities of the early Earth environment, the metal demands of early life, and the plausibility of alternative evolutionary scenarios in the metal requirements of nitrogen fixation.

Field of Science: Astrobiology

Advisors:

Betul Kacar
bkacar@wisc.edu
608-263-3622

Elizabeth Swanner 
eswanner@iastate.edu
515-708-1254

Anne Dekas
dekas@stanford.edu
650-736-1225

Lance Seefeldt
Lance.seefeldt@usu.edu
435-797-3964

Ariel Anbar
anbar@asu.edu
480-965-0767

Eligibility is currently open to:

• U.S. Citizens;
• U.S. Lawful Permanent Residents (LPR);
• Foreign Nationals eligible for an Exchange Visitor J-1 visa status; and,
• Applicants for LPR, asylees, or refugees in the U.S. at the time of application with 1) a valid EAD card and 2) I-485 or I-589 forms in pending status

• Degree: Doctoral Degree.