The search for extant and extinct life in our Solar System has been a driving goal for many planetary scientists. Are we alone in the universe? Did our red planet neighbour once harbor life? Could we learn more about how life originated on Earth by studying Mars and other planetary bodies? These are all questions that Earth Science and Astrobiology student Sian Ford is working to help address.

Guest Bio

Sian Ford is an LGBTQ+ scientist that dreams of being an astronaut! She is currently a PhD candidate in Earth Sciences and Astrobiology working with Dr. Greg Slater at McMaster University. Her research involves using an interdisciplinary approach to help address questions regarding how scientists can search for evidence of extant and extinct life on Mars and learn more about the origin of life here on Earth. Sian's research involves detecting and characterizing microorganisms living at the very limits of terrestrial life as we know it, so we can better understand where and how organisms might live on other planets such as Mars, or moons such as Titan (building up to NASA's Dragonfly mission in the 2030s!). In addition, Sian is interested in the role phospholipids and their constituents may have had in the abiogenic origin of life on Earth some 4 billion years ago.

If you would like to learn more about Sian’s work, you can connect with her on LinkedIn, follow her on Twitter @sianeford, and her website www.sianeford.com.

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Host and creator: Gavin Tolometti

Music Credit: https://www.purple-planet.com