Hydrothermal systems preserve complex records of biological activity and environmental processes, making them ideal settings for investigating the factors that govern molecular biosignature preservation. My research explores how mineralogy, geochemistry, and depositional conditions influence the preservation and interpretation of organic compounds in silica-rich hydrothermal deposits. Through molecular analyses of modern terrestrial analog environments, I seek to better understand the pathways that control the preservation of organic matter and improve our ability to interpret biosignatures preserved within Earth’s geologic record and potential extraterrestrial environments.

Identifying molecular biosignatures that can provide specific insights into biological processes remains a fundamental challenge in organic geochemistry and astrobiology. My research investigates the preservation and analytical characterization of pterins, a class of biologically derived heterocyclic compounds involved in essential metabolic pathways across diverse organisms. By evaluating their stability, detectability, and preservation potential in geological contexts, this work explores whether pterins can serve as complementary biosignatures alongside more traditional molecular biomarkers. Expanding the range of compounds available for biosignature studies improves our ability to reconstruct ancient biological activity and strengthens molecular approaches for interpreting both terrestrial and planetary materials.t biosignatures preserved within Earth’s geologic record and potential extraterrestrial environments.

The detection of organic molecules on Mars is complicated by the introduction of organic compounds from spacecraft materials and analytical instrumentation, making it essential to distinguish indigenous Martian organics from terrestrial contaminants and instrument-derived byproducts. My research investigates the thermal degradation products of Tenax TA, a porous polymer used to trap volatile organic compounds, to characterize compounds generated during analytical processing. By identifying these diagnostic byproducts, this work improves our ability to differentiate authentic Martian organic signatures from artifacts introduced during sample analysis. These findings strengthen confidence in the interpretation of organic detections from planetary missions and support the development of more robust strategies for future life-detection investigations.