Three EES Students Awarded the Warren and Anneliese Wood Research Award for Spring 2025

Each semester, our undergraduate students have the opportunity to apply for research funding with the Warren and Anneliese Wood Research Award! This award is made possible through the generosity of Dr. and Mrs. Wood to support undergraduate student-led research projects conducted under the mentorship of faculty in the Department.  Dr. Wood is a graduate of Michigan State University, receiving B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees from the then Department of Geology. 

The purpose of this award is for undergraduates to request funding for non-salary research expenses including research equipment, sample analyses and supplies. Preference is given to applicants who have not previously received an award.  Funding decisions are merit based are reviewed by the Undergraduate Affairs Committee with final approval from the Department Chair.

This semester, three students are receiving this award!

 

Alexandra Grabowski

Project title: Microscopic and Biochemical observations of Microbe-Mineral Interactions in a Serpentinizing Environment

Research mentor or advisor: Dr. Matthew Schrenk and PhD candidate Sarah Gonzalez-Henao

Summary: The possibility of life on Mars is still unknown, but we can explore whether it was ever possibleby searching for biosignatures, clues that life may have once existed. Since we can’t yet go toMars and directly test for life, we study places on Earth that share similar extreme conditions,known as analog sites. By identifying how life survives in these environments and what traces itleaves behind, we can develop better ways to search for life on Mars.My research focuses on a protective substance called extracellular polymeric substances (EPS),which microbes produce to shield themselves from harsh conditions like radiation, extremedryness, and high salt levels, similar to the environment on Mars. EPS is made ofpolysaccharides, lipids, proteins, nucleic acids, and other biological building blocks. By studyinghow microbes use EPS to survive in hyperalkaline springs, I can determine whether EPS couldserve as a biosignature, providing evidence that microbial life could persist in extremeconditions.

I am also studying microbial lipids, which are fats that help build cell membranes. Thesemolecules can remain preserved long after the microbes themselves are gone, making themanother potential biosignature. By analyzing how lipids survive in Mars-like environments onEarth, we can better understand their stability and usefulness in detecting past life on Mars.This research contributes to a broader understanding of how life interacts with extremeenvironments, both on Earth and beyond. It not only helps refine our search for life on Marsbut also provides insights into the conditions that support life in the most inhospitable places,expanding our knowledge of where life might exist elsewhere in the universe.

 

Lara Maun

Project title: The Utility of Iron in Deeping Understanding of Aquatic Carbon Cycle Dynamics

Research mentor or advisor: Dr. Kelly Aho

Summary: Iron is an important variable when studying the carbon cycle. It can bind to organic matter, forming a steady state which decreases decomposition rates. Alternatively, when iron gains electrons, it can release stored carbon. In addition to this, iron also helps regulate the conversion of dissolved organic matter into carbon dioxide. Due to these coupled processes, changes in iron availability can significantly impact carbon levels and greenhouse gases present, and thus studying iron fluctuations allows us to gain a deeper understanding of the carbon cycle, both at a local and global scale.

 

Paige Sakorafos

Project title: Probing the source of the Etendeka Large Igneous Province using melt inclusions in olivine

Research mentor or advisor: Dr. Tyrone O. Rooney

Summary: I will be using melt inclusions, which are little drops of magma that get trapped inside a crystal, because that crystal grows around the drop of magma. These drops are important because when magma is moving to the surface of the Earth it changes, but when these drops are trapped inside the crystal it effectively becomes like a time capsule for what the magma was made of in that place and time. This is important because knowing how magma evolves on its way to the surface gives us a better understanding of the functioning of the inner parts of the Earth. I specifically will be using these melt inclusions to find primary magma compositions. Primary magma compositions are the compositions of the magma when it initially comes out of the mantle. This would be extremely important to geology as a whole, because being able to define the composition of the mantle would give us a deeper understanding of the inner workings of the Earth below the crust.

To donate to this wonderful opportunity, please navigate to https://givingto.msu.edu/gift/index.cfm?desi_code=A50713&desig_descrip=Wood%20Research%20Endowment