Sonia Papadaki

Profile

Research interests: extremophiles, astrobiology, biosignatures, microbial ecology, geobiology

PhD Project Title: Traces of microbial life and activity in Arctic endolithic habitats

Project Summary:

Arctic endolithic (rock-dwelling) microbial communities are a key interface between biology and geology, yet their diversity, distribution, and metabolic capabilities remains vastly unexplored. The Arctic’s sensitivity to changes in climate makes it especially imperative to understand the interactions between microorganisms and environmental conditions to enable the prediction of future ecological changes. Furthermore, endolithic communities are vital for our understanding of the parameters for life in extreme environments. Despite subzero temperatures, nutrient shortage, and a lack of liquid water, these “islands of microbial life” thrive beneath the surface of translucent rocks, where they are protected from the harsh conditions of the Arctic. However, little is known about the diversity and ecology of such communities in the Arctic. The aims of this PhD project are to characterise the composition and functional adaptations of microbial communities present in Arctic endolithic habitats, and to utilise novel imaging and spectroscopy methods to investigate microbe-mineral interactions and biosignatures associated with these microbial communities. This project involves collaboration within a multidisciplinary team including the Natural History Museum and the London Centre for Nanotechnology, addressing key cross-disciplinary questions about life in extremes and the strategies needed to search for past life in the geological record on Earth, and potentially elsewhere in the Solar System.

Academic Background:

MSc Palaeobiology, University of Bristol

BSc Medical Sciences, University of Exeter

Supervisors:

James Bradley, QMUL

Ozge Eyice-Broadent, QMUL

Anne Jungblut, Natural History Museum

Dominic Papineau, UCL

Funding: London NERC DTP

Research