Our Broad Branch Road Spring 2017 Neighborhood Lecture Series continues with Andrew Steele, staff scientist at the Geophysical Laboratory. Steele will present, "Mars, Moons, Missions & Microbes: Life as We Don't Know It - How Do We Find It?" at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 25, 2017, in the Greenewalt Lecture Hall.

The main focus behind Steele’s research has been the development of scientific and measurement criteria for the unambiguous detection of life in early Earth and Mars samples, and future robotic and sample return missions to Mars, Europa, and Enceladus. Steele’s talk will explain how this research has evolved into a three-pronged approach of laboratory investigations using a diverse range of techniques and samples coupled with development and testing of instrumentation for future Mars missions and the characterization of data from space flight missions to Earth orbit, Mars, and comets.

Doors open at 6 p.m. Lecture Hall seating is first come, first serve. Eventbrite tickets are not required, so please arrive early to reserve your seat. Eventbrite registration is encouraged to skip the sign-in process at the door.

Light refreshments will be served before the lecture at 6 p.m.

Dr. Andrew Steele uses a multidisciplinary approach to detecting life on Mars and in early Earth samples. He has concentrated on defining a non-life background based on organic chemical processes in extraterrestrial samples (meteorites and experimental samples) both in Earth-based laboratory investigations and as part of the Stardust, Rosetta, and Mars Science Laboratory mission teams. Steele received a Ph.D. in biotechnology from the University of Portsmouth, U.K., in 1996, and a B.S. in microbiology and biochemistry from the University of Central Lancashire, U.K., in 1992.