Mars Detective — Investigating the Red Planet for ancient life

By Dr. Richard Quinn; Carl Sagan Center for the Study of Life in the Universe, SETI Institute, and Gail Jacobs
Is the surface of Mars really sterile, or could there be still-undiscovered traces of life littering this hostile landscape? Chemist Richard Quinn focuses on understanding the reactive processes that take place on the surface of the Red Planet, and how these might give a better idea of the potential for habitable environments.
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Richard, briefly describe your research projects.
I typically have four to five concurrent projects, all with a common theme, but my research focuses on two general areas. One research area is Mars science – specifically, habitability and astrobiology. I’m working on characterizing mechanisms of biomarkers’ degradation and preservation, especially organic chemicals, which might give us some insight into the habitability of different environments on Mars. I investigate the properties of soils based on in situ measurements made by landers and then use the results to evaluate the habitability of Mars.
My other area of research involves instrument development. I’ve recently been working on instrument technology development and science experiments in low-earth orbit. I’m currently performing an experiment with other researchers on ...