McGill
Main Header Image

Canadian Astrobiology Training Program (CATP)

Ph.D. candidates - To see a picture of the candidate place your cursor on their name

Name Institute Supervisor Research area
Melissa Battler
Melissa Battler
University of Western Ontario
Gordon Osinski/Neil Banerjee
 		I am mapping the mineralogy of saline perennial springs on Axel Heiberg Island, Nunavut, and looking for evidence of biomineralization primarily using microscopy. My findings may be helpful in the search for similar sites on Mars, which may have supported life in the past.
Raymond Francis
Raymond Francis
University of Western Ontario
Gordon Osinski / Ken McIsaac
 		I'm working to develop vision systems to enhance planetary exploration, with a focus on technologies that support astrobiological investigations. Lidar and advanced stereo camera systems provide the potential for greatly increasing the science return from landed platforms on Mars, the Earth's moon, and other planetary bodies.
Advanced vision systems can greatly increase the rate at which mission scientists can interpret the geological environment, be it from high-resolution terrain and texture models, spectroscopic data linked to topography and imagery, or automatic processing of large imaged datasets to automatically identify targets of interest. The goal is to find ways of better identifying interesting targets, synthesizing the understanding of the local geology across multiple scales, and making more efficient use of time and resources in choosing targets. In particular, techniques can be developed specifically to search for microbialites, hydrothermally-altered minerals, or features of interest in terms of habitability. Overall, the intent is to develop versatile systems that can be used in multiple environments, to provide valuable elements of upcoming missions in planetary exploration.
Jacqueline Goordial
Jacqueline Goordial
McGill University
Dr. Lyle Whyte
 		I will be examining the microbial life of University Valley in the Upper Dry Valleys of the Antarctic. I'm interested in looking at the structure and diversity of the microbial communities, as well as the metabolic activity which could be taking place under sub-zero temperatures. The Upper Dry Valleys of the Antarctic are an important and unique analog for the polar regions of Mars since they are the only place on Earth where there is a layer of dry soil overlaying permanently frozen ground (permafrost). Similar to the Martian atmosphere, the air is very dry and the ice-table depth is governed by water vapour diffusion, rather than liquid water. This research will create a profile of the microbiology of the only terrestrial analog site for the North polar ground-ice of Mars, similar to the Phoenix landing site and the proposed site of a future sampling mission.
Yasuhiro Hasegawa
Yasuhiro Hasegawa
McMaster University
Dr. Ralph Pudritz
 I'm interested in photochemistry in protoplanetary disks. In particular, I'm investigating how amino acids is formed on icy grains in radiatively heated disks.
Matthew Izawa
Matthew Izawa
University of Western Ontario
Neil Banerjee and Roberta Flemming
 1. Mineralogical astrobiology (microbe-mineral interaction and traces of microbial activity preserved in the rock record, as they pertain to the habitability of early Earth, Mars, and other bodies). Mineralogy is one of the royal roads to understanding environments of formation and alteration processes in geological samples, including those from other worlds. The above research areas are unified in that they use mineral structure, composition and assemblages to elucidate the history of samples from diverse environments which are relevant to early Earth and other planets. Specifically, we are investigating traces of microbial activity in basaltic glasses produced in seafloor volcanic environments. Microbial activity produces hollow etch structures that can be preserved for geologic timescales under favorable conditions. Because basalt (and, potentially, water-basalt interaction) is widespread in the solar system, notably on Mars, this represents a very widespread and ancient possible habitat for life. A combination of field, analytical, experimental simulation and computer modeling techniques are being applied to this problem. 2. Impact crater hydrothermal systems as a habitat for microbial life and microbial preservation, focusing on the well-preserved post-impact hydrothermal system at the Haughton impact structure, Devon Island, Nunavut. Impact cratering is a geologic process common to all planetary objects with solid surfaces. Impact-generated hydrothermal activity may occur wherever the target includes significant amounts of water. Understanding the impact crater as a habitat and potential ecological hotspot for diversification is of high potential relevance to studies of life on ancient Earth, Mars, and elsewhere. 3. Meteorite studies (mineralogy, geochemistry, petrology) as probes of the early solar system, including the environment(s) in which life emerged; and as samples of other solar system bodies (notably Mars) which may preserve a record of past habitable conditions.)
André Pellerin
André Pellerin
McGill University
Dr. Boswell Wing
 Microorganisms induce the fractionation of isotopes through their metabolic processes. This produces characteristic isotopic depletions and enrichments in microbial substrates and wastes. Current interpretations of the isotopic record present in early Earth rocks are based on the isotopic signatures produced by microorganisms today. However, an apparent contradiction may underlie these biogeochemical studies: How does isotopic fractionation, and by inference, microbial metabolism stay steady through billions of generations of microbial reproduction? I am investigating the implications of evolution on isotopic signatures that are used to infer the presence of microorganisms on early Earth.
Alexandra Pontefract
Alexandra Pontefract
University of Western Ontario and Open University
Dr. Gordon Osinski, Dr. Gordon Southam, Dr. Charles Cockell
 Meteorite impact events have the ability to simultaneously destroy, as well as create habitats for life. Though capable of generating extreme temperatures and pressures within the target lithology, these processes can favourably change the availability and habitability of the substrate for lithophytic organisms, which are then able to colonize microfractures and pore spaces created during the impact. This project focuses on the correlation between shock level and the extent of endolithic growth within shocked gneisses from Haughton Crater, Devon Island, Canada.
Haley Morgan Sapers
Haley Morgan Sapers
University of Western Ontario
Drs. G. R. Osinski and N. R. Banerjee
 Any hypervelocity impact into a water-rich target has the potential to create a post-impact hydrothermal system. Such impact-induced environments may be conducive to microbial colonization. It is generally accepted that microbes colonize submarine basaltic glass leaving characteristic tubular and granular etch structures. Examination of glasses from the Ries impact structure, Germany, has revealed tubular textures with remarkably similar morphologies to the bioalteration textures observed in basaltic glasses. Using various analytical techniques, my research focuses on elucidating the origin and, if indicated, establishing the biogenicity of the enigmatic tubular textures in the Ries impact glasses.