MrSolomon Hirsch

As an astrobiologist, I study the origins and evolution of life in the universe. For my PhD, I'm working on a variety of projects to improve our ability to detect life beyond Earth. I work on terrestrial analogue samples in the lab to streamline methods for detecting morphological and chemical traces of extraterrestrial life. In my recently published article, I developed a technique to distinguish viable life in extraterrestrial settings using equipment already in use by space missions.

In previous work, I investigated the preservation potential of morphological biosignatures from a Mars analogue deposit and discussed the consequences of the results for future mission targeting and biosignature interpretation.

For my masters thesis I investigated the self-assembly of carbon sulfur microstructures from simple organic compounds in solution alongside sulfide, and considered their potential importance as vesicular membranes for the origin of life. This research could also have implications on the sulfide and organic rich surface of Mars.

I'm passionate about science communication and outreach. If you have any questions please just get in touch via email!