April 12, 2002

Sheldon Malcolm, an undergraduate from Bates College in Maine, will be visiting the lab this summer to carry out a summer research project. Welcome!

April 08, 2002

Shannon Hinsa, a grad student in the lab, has the unique opportunity to study microbes in an extreme environment for 3 weeks this summer in what is thought to be one of the closest analogs to a Martian environment here on Earth. This is what she has to say about her upcoming adventure:

"I will be spending three weeks this summer on Devon Island at the Flashline Arctic Station carrying out research through the Mars Society. The environment on this island closely resembles what we predict to find on Mars - cold volcanic rock. The purpose of this research station is to mimic the conditions on Mars as closely as possible here on Earth to test equipment and plan how research can be carried out when people actually travel to Mars. For example space suits will be worn when leaving the hab (our living quarters) for all outdoor exploration and all samples need to be collected with the full suit on. My role will be to identify bacteria living in this extreme environment, in particular endoliths. I have to take all lab media and equipment with me, so I need to carefully plan for what I will need to get my work done. It will also be an exercise in culturing environmental bacteria while trying to maintain a sterile working area in the hab. I think it will be a great place to go and do some environmental research and hopefully view some polar bears (from a distance)!"

-Shannon Hinsa