20th Southern California Geobiology Symposium 2024

SoCal Geobiology 2024 will take place April 20th at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. This event is free for all to attend.

This symposium is focused on early career scientists and students, though scientists of all backgrounds are welcome to attend. Our goal is to create a welcoming and engaging environment that showcases the diverse research in our area.

Please see the Registration tab for more info on how to register.

Breakfast, lunch, and dinner will be provided. Free parking is available.

As needed, please reach out to us at socalgeobio2024@gmail.com

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We are excited to announce Dr. Aude Picard from Univeristy of Nevada, Las Vegas will be giving our keynote at SoCal Geobio 2024.

Seminar Title: Are minerals bad for bacteria?

Microbial sulfate reduction (MSR) drives the sulfur, iron, and carbon biogeochemical cycles in anoxic sedimentary environments. MSR produces sulfide, which reacts with Fe(II) and precipitate as iron sulfide (Fe-S) minerals. While MSR is coupled to the oxidation of organic carbon, Fe-S minerals can also sequester and preserve large amounts of organic compounds. I will discuss how sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) influence the formation and transformations of Fe-S minerals, and produce metastable phases mackinawite (FeS) and greigite (Fe3S4) with unique properties. I will also present experimental work that examines the effects of Fe-S minerals on the physiology and longevity of sulfate-reducing bacteria


Research Summary from Dr. Picard: "I am interested in the physiology and activity of sulfate-reducing  in the context of biogeochemistry and astrobiology. My research investigates 1) interactions between sulfate-reducing microorganisms (SRM) and Fe-S minerals using microscopy and spectroscopy, and 2) the pressure limits for microbial life, using SRM as model microorganisms."