Major Professional Interests

My field- and lab-based Geobiology research program utilizes organic and isotope geochemistry, microbiology, and geology to address diverse, fundamental questions about:

• Geobiology of extreme environments including the deep subsurface, caves, hypersaline lakes, hydrothermal systems, and ultrabasic systems
• Compound-specific isotope organic geochemistry (H, C, N) applied to microbial ecology, biogeochemical cycling in microbe-rich environments, and the sedimentary record of environmental perturbation and climate
• Carbonate sedimentology, stratigraphy, and geochemistry with an emphasis on microbialite production, preservation, and chemistry

Education

2013      Ph.D. Geobiology, California Institute of Technology, Division of Geological and Planetary Science

2008      M.S. Geobiology, California Institute of Technology, Division of Geological and Planetary Science

2007      B.A. summa cum laude, Earth & Planetary Sciences, Environmental Studies, Washington University in St. Louis

Employment and Positions of Note

Employment

2021 – present Associate Professor, Northwestern University

2014 – 2021      Assistant Professor, Northwestern University

2013 – 2014     Postdoctoral Scholar, University of Southern California

2007 – 2013     Graduate student, California Institute of Technology

2003 – 2007     Undergraduate Research Assistant, Washington University in St. Louis.

Uncompensated Positions of Note

2024 – present Chair of the Organic Geochemistry Division of the Geochemical Society

2021 – present Member – Science Program Advisory Committee, SURF

Postdoctoral Recognitions

2024      Northwestern Canvas Hall of Fame: Most Innovative Course Site Award

2023      Sulzman Award for Scientific Excellence through Education and Mentoring, Biogeosciences Division, American Geophysical Union.

2023      Excellence in Mentoring Undergraduate Research Award, Northwestern University

2022      AT&T Research Fellow, Northwestern University

2021      AT&T Research Fellow, Northwestern University

2021      NSF CAREER Award winner

2020      Fellow, Scialog 2020 – Signatures of Life in the Universe initiative sponsored by Research Corporation for Science Advancement and the Heising-Simons Foundation

2019      Fellow, Canadian Institute for the Advancement of Research (CIFAR) – Earth 4D: Subsurface Science and Exploration Program.

2019      Fellow, 2019 US Kavli Frontiers of Science Symposium

2018      Northwestern University Associated Student Government Faculty and Administrator Honor Roll

2017      Packard Fellowship Award

Pre-Doctoral Awards, Honors, and Fellowships

2013      Dean’s Award, Recognition of Service to Graduate Honor Counsel, Caltech

2013      Dean’s Award, Recognition of Service to Graduate Student Counsel, Caltech

2012      Student poster award, 2^nd place, Gordon Conference on Organic Geochemistry

2012      AAPG Student Oral Awards Competition, 2^nd place, American Association of Petroleum Geologists Annual meeting

2012      BASIN Student Registration Grant for the Fall AGU Meeting (poster award)

2009      Graduate Research Fellowship Award, National Science Foundation

2007      The Ernest L. Ohle, Jr. Prize, Department of Earth and Planetary Science, Washington University

Research Funding

Current Research Support

EA: Peripheral Replacements for the Northwestern University Stable Isotope Biogeochemistry Laboratory. NSF IF (EAR-2335204), $238,847. March 15, 2024 to Feb. 28, 2025. M.R. Osburn (PI), N. Blair, B. Sageman, Y. Axford (CoIs)

Collaborative Research: Evolution of Subsurface Microbe-Rock-Fluid Systems (SMRFS). NSF FRES (EAR-2120912). $735,035 to MRO. Sep 2021 to Aug 2026. J. Mcintosh (Lead PI), M.R. Osburn (NU PI), R. Williams (UW PI), P. Reiners (CoI), G. Ferguson (CoI), H. Drake (CoI)

CAREER: A Triple-Isotope Approach to Unraveling Subsurface Food Webs, NSF CAREER GeoSciences (EAR-2042249), $770,225, June 2021 to May 2026, M.R. Osburn (PI)

Seasonality of Abrupt Climate Change over Greenland: Direct Tests for the Younger Dryas and 8.2 ka event using Paleolimnology, NSF P2C2 (OPP-2002515), $640,580, September 2020 to August 2023, Y. Axford (PI) and M.R. Osburn (CoI)

Earth 4D – Subsurface Science and Exploration, Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR), $22,914 with renewal for 5 years, July 2019 to June 2020, M.R. Osburn (Co-PI and Fellow)

Illuminating Microbial Dark Matter Using Subterranean Geomicrobiology, The David and Lucile Packard Foundation Fellowships for Science and Engineering, $875,000. Nov 2017 to Oct 2022. M.R. Osburn (PI)

Past Research Support

Towards the measurement of trace greenhouse gas isotopes: Purchase of a Trace Gas Pre-Concentration Device for multidisciplinary C cycle research at NU. Paula M. Trienens Institute for Sustainability and Energy $39,374.30 to MRO. Oct 2023 to Sept 2024. M.R. Osburn (PI)

URG²: Undergraduate Research in Geosciences for Under Represented Groups. David and Lucile Packard Foundation. $21,400 to MRO. October 2021 to September 2022. M. Denolle, L. Yeung, K. Bergmann, K. McKinnon, D. Yang, N. Planavsky, M. Osburn (CoIs)

Biosignature Preservation in Sulfate-Dominated Hypersaline Environments, NASA Exobiology, $197,803 sub award. April 2018 to April 2021, A. Pontefract (PI), C. Carr, M.R. Osburn (CoI)

Sudbury Mines Project Development, Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR) Catalyst Fund Project #: CP21-039, $18,320 USD to MRO, May 2020 to May 2021, M.R. Osburn (PI), V. Orphan, N. Smith, B. Sherwood Lollar (collaborators)

Null Detection of Life: Towards a more Refined Understanding of the True Limits of Habitability, Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR) Catalyst Fund Project #: CF – 0126, $25,000 CAD ($11,700 CAD to MRO), May 2020 to May 2021, CoIs H. Graham, M.R. Osburn, and B. Ménez

Biofilms in the Deep Subsurface: Implications for Planetary Habitability, NASA NESSF, $130,000, Sept. 2018 Aug 2021, M.R. Osburn (PI), C. Casar (Fellow).

Constraining the Mammoth Cave Nitrogen Cycle with a Combined Sequencing and Isotopic Approach, National Cave and Karst Research Institute, $25,000, October 2020 to December 2021, M.R. Osburn (PI)

Biologic and Resource Analog Investigations in Low Light Environments (BRAILLE), NASA PSTAR program (80NSSC17M0054), $3,845,449 total ($182,790 to MRO). May 2017 to Apr 2020. J. Blank (PI), T. Cohen, A. Colaprete, S. Datta, M. Deans, D. Moser, D. Northrup, M.R. Osburn (CoI), T. Roush, C. Stoker, U. Wong

Biomarker Records of Arctic Climate Change, Institute for Sustainability and Energy at Northwestern University (Project # 10038997), $34,000. Jan 2015 to Jan 2016, M.R. Osburn (PI)

Life Underground, NASA Astrobiology Institute (NNAI3AA92A), $205,077 sub-award to MRO. Jan 2015 to Dec 2017, J. Amend (PI), M.R. Osburn, V. Orphan, R. Bhartia, D. Moser, M. El-Naggar, K. Nealson, B. Orcutt

An Evaluation of Sedimentary Lipid Hydrogen Isotopes as an Arctic Precipitation Proxy, NSF Doctoral Dissertation Research, $16,000. Sept 2016 to Feb 2018, J. McFarlin, Y. Axford (PI), M.R. Osburn (CoI)

Lipid Biomarkers of the Deep Subsurface Biosphere, NASA Exobiology (NNX15AM086), $394,957. June 2015 to June 2018, M.R. Osburn (PI)

Publications

Key to Author Status Symbols                 

*                Northwestern graduate student

**              Northwestern undergraduate student

^               Northwestern postdoctoral scholar

name       Senior author

Published Manuscripts and Book Chapters

[49] Tuccillo, M.*, Garla, S.**, Osburn, M.R., Nash, B.*, Axford, Y., (2025) Sedimentary pigments reveal complex ecosystem responses of primary producers to mid-Holocene summer anoxia in a small Greenland lake. Quaternary Science Reviews 369, 109630

[48] Lollar, G.S, Osburn, M.R., Casar, C.P.*, Rutldge, E., Warr, O., (2025) The role of CO₂-charged fluids on aqueous geochemistry of the shallow subsurface. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 405, 188-204

[47] Bergmann, K.D., Osburn, M.R., Anderson, N., Hayhow, C., Wilcots, J., Cantine, M., Fischer, W.W., Bonifacie, M. (2025) Origins and alteration of Ediacaran carbonates recording the Shuram excursion in Oman. Geochemistyr, Geophysics, Geosystems 26(5)

[46] Feyhl-Buska, J., Wu, F., Smith, I.E., LaRowe, D.E., Robador, A., Kruger, B., Osburn, M.R., Amend, J.P., (2024) Calorimetric measurement of energy and nutrient stimulation of microorganisms from the continental deep subsurface. Frontiers in Microbiology 14, https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2024.1455594

[45] Clark, R., Miller, W.M., Osburn, M.R., Beddows, P.A., Evans, M., and Egerton-Warburton, L.M. (2024) Soil moisture and water redistribution patterns in white oak (Quercus alba) saplings and trees in fragmented urban woodlands. Environmental Research 263, 120106

[44] Nichols, F.*, Pontefract, A., Masterson, A., Thompson, M.**, Carr, C., Tucillo, M., Osburn, M.R., (2024) Leveraging Machine Learning Approaches to Predict Organic Carbon Abundance in Mars-Analog Hypersaline Lake Sediments. JGR Machine Learning 1, e2024JH000138

[43] Puleo, P.J.K, Akers, P.D., Kopec, B.G., Welker, J.M., Bailey, H., Osburn, M.R., Riis, T., Axford, Y., (2024) Aquatic Moss δ¹⁸O as a Proxy for Seasonally Resolved Lake Water δ¹⁸O, Northwest Greenland, Quaternary Science Reviews 334, 108682

[42] Ferguson, G., Bailey, L., Kim, J-H, Osburn, M., Reiners, P., Drake, H., Stevenson, B., McIntosh, J., (2024) Acceleration of Deep Subsurface Fluid Fluxes in the Anthropocene, Earth’s Future, e2024EF004496

[41] Goldman, A., Fulk, E., Momper, L., Osburn, M., Heider, C., Mulligan, J., Masiello, C., and Silberg, J., (2024) Microbial sensor variation across biogeochemical conditions in the terrestrial deep subsurface, mSystems, e00966-23

[40] Momper, L.M.^, Casar, C.P.*, and Osburn, M.R., (2023) A metagenomic view of novel microbial and metabolic diversity found within the deep terrestrial biosphere. Environmental Microbiology 25 (12), 3719-3737

[39] Osburn, M., Selensky, M.*, Beddows, P., Jacobson, A., DeFranco, K., and Meredez Alonso, G. (2023) Microbial Biogeography of the Eastern Yucatán Carbonate Aquifer, Applied and Environmental Microbiology 89 (11) e01682-23

[38] Nichols, F.*, Pontefract, A., Dion-Kirschner, H.**, Masterson, A., Osburn, M., (2023) Lipid Biosignatures from SO₄-Rich Hypersaline Lakes of the Cariboo Plateau, JGR Biogeosciences, 10.1029/2023JG007480

[37] McFarlin, J.M*, Axford, Y., Kusch, S., Masterson, A.L., Lasher, E.G.*, Osburn, M.R. (2023) Aquatic plant wax hydrogen and carbon isotopes in Greenland lakes record shifts in methane cycling during past Holocene warming. Science Advances, 10.1126/sciadv.adh9704

[36] McIntosh, J., Kim, J.-H., Bailey, L., Osburn, M., Drake, H., Martini, A., Reiners, P., Stevenson, B., Ferguson, G., (2023) Burial and denudation alter microbial life at the bottom of the Critical Zone. Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems (24), e2022GC010831

[35] Soares, A.E. Edwards, A., An, D., Bagnoud, A., Bradley, J., BarnhartE., Bomberg, M., Budwill, K., Caffrey, S., Fields, M., Gralnick, J., Kadnikov, V., Momper, L., Osburn, M., Mu, A., Moreau, J., Moser, D., Purkamo, L., Rassner, S., Sheik, C., Sherwood Lollar, B., Toner, B., Voordouw, G., Wouters, K., Mitchell, A., (2023) A global perspective on bacterial diversity in the terrestrial deep subsurface. Microbiology 169 (1), doi.org/10.1099/mic.0.001172

[34] Puleo, P.J.K.*, Masterson, A.L., Medeiros, A.S., Schellinger, G., Steigleder, R.**, Woodroffe, S., Osburn, M.R., Axford, Y., (2022) Younger Dryas and Early Holocene Climate in South Greenland Inferred from Oxygen Isotopes of Chironomids, Aquatic Moss, and Moss Cellulose. Quaternary Science Reviews 296, doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2022.107810

[33] Casar, C. P.*, Kruger, B. R., Momper, L. M., Osburn, M. R., (2021) Iron-fueled life in the continental subsurface: Deep Mine Microbial Observatory, SD, USA. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 87 (20): e0083221. doi: 10.1128/AEM.00832-21

[32] Bird. L., Kuenen, G., Osburn, M.R., Tomioka, N., Ishii, S., Barr C., Nealson, K., and Suzuki, S., (2021) Serpentinimonas gen. nov., Serpentinimonas raichei sp. nov., Serpentinimonas barnesii sp. nov. and Serpentinimonas maccroryi sp. nov., hyperalkaliphilic and facultative autotrophic bacteria isolated from terrestrial serpentinizing springs. IJSEM 71 (8), 1-10, doi.org/10.1099/ijsem.0.004945

[31] Wyman, D.A., Conroy, J.L., Osburn, M.R., Atwood, A.R., (2021) Coherent drying across the central Pacific over the last millennium. Paleoceanography and Paleoclimatology 36 (7), 1-15, doi.org/10.1029/2021PA004311

[30] Selensky, M.*, Masterson, A., Blank, J., Lee, S.**, Osburn, M.R., (2021) Stable Carbon Isotope Depletions in Lipid Biomarkers Suggest Subsurface Carbon Fixation in Lava Caves. Journal of Geophysical Research – Biogeosciences 126 (7), https://doi.org/10.1029/2021JG006430

[29] Casar, C.P.*, Kruger, B.R., Osburn, M.R., (2021) Rock-hosted subsurface biofilms: mineral selectivity drives hotspots for intraterrestrial life. Frontiers in Microbiology, doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2021.658988

[28] Phillips, A.A., Speth, D.R., Miller, L.G., Wang, X.T., Wu, F., Medeiros, P.M., Monteverde, D.R., Osburn, M.R., Berelson, W.M., Betts, H.L., Wijker, R.S., Mullin, S.W., Johnson, H.A., Orphan, V.J., Fischer, W.W., Geobiology Course 2017, Geobiology Course 2018, Sessions, A.L., (2021) Microbial succession and dynamics in meromictic Mono Lake, CA, Geobiology 19 (4), 376-393, doi.org/10.1111/gbi.12437

[27] Rowe, A.R., Abuyen, K., Lam, B.B., Kruger, B., Casar, C.P.*, Osburn, M.R., El-Naggar, M.Y., Amend, J.P., (2021) Electrochemical evidence for in situ microbial activity at the Deep Mine Microbial Observatory (DeMMO), South Dakota, USA. Geobiology 19 (2), 173 – 188, doi.org/10.1111/gbi.12420

[26] Dion-Kirschner, H.**, McFarlin, J.M.*, Masterson, A.L., Axford, Y., Osburn, M.R., (2020) Modern constraints on the sources and climate signals recorded by sedimentary plant waxes in west Greenland. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 286, 336-354, doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2020.07.027

[25] Puleo, P.J.K.**, Axford, Y., McFarlin, J.M.*, Curry, B.B., Barklage, M., Osburn, M.R., (2020) Late glacial and Holocene paleoenvironments in the midcontinent United States, inferred from Geneva Lake leaf wax, ostracode valve, and bulk sediment chemistry. Quaternary Science Reviews 241, 106384, doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2020.106384

[24] Casar, C.P.*, Kruger, B.R., Flynn, T.M., Masterson, A.L., Momper, L.M.^, Osburn, M.R., (2020) Mineral-hosted biofilm communities in the continental deep subsurface, Deep Mine Microbial Observatory, SD, USA. Geobiology 18, 1-15, doi.org/10.1111/gbi.12391

[23] McFarlin, J.M.*, Axford, Y., Masterson, A.L., Osburn, M.R., (2019) Calibration of modern sedimentary δ²H plant wax-water relationships in Greenland lakes. Quaternary Science Reviews 225, 1-14, doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2019.105978

[22] Osburn, M.R., Kruger, M., Masterson, A., Casar, C.*, Amend, J., (2019) Establishment of the Deep Mine Microbial Observatory (DeMMO), South Dakota, USA, a geochemically stable portal into the deep subsurface. Frontiers in Earth Science 7, 1-17, doi.org/10.3389/feart.2019.00196

[21] Lollar, G., Warr, O., Telling, J., Osburn, M., Sherwood Lollar, B., (2019) ‘Follow the Water’: Hydrogeochemical constraints on microbial investigations 2.4 km below surface at the Kidd Creek Deep Fluid and Deep Life Observatory. Geomicrobiology Journal 36, 1-14, doi.org/10.1080/01490451.2019.1641770

[20] Meyer-Dombard, D.R., Osburn, M.R., Cardace, D., Arcilla, C.A., (2019) The effect of a tropical climate on available nutrient resources to springs in ophiolite-hosted, deep biosphere ecosystems in the Philippines. Frontiers in Microbiology 10, 1-19. doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2019.00761

[19] Lang, S.Q., Osburn, M.R., Steen, A.D., (2019) Chapter 16: Carbon in the deep biosphere: Forms, fates, and biogeochemical cycling. Whole Earth Carbon: Past to Present, edited by Orcutt, B.N., Daniel, I., and Dasgupta, R. Invited contribution for Cambridge University Press. 480-523, doi.org/10.1017/9781108677950

[18] Stamenkovic V., Beegle L. W., Zacny K., … Osburn M.R., … (2019) The next frontier for planetary and human exploration. Nature Astronomy 3, 116-120. doi.org/10.1038/s41550-018-0676-9

[17] Andrews, M.G.*, Jacobson, A.D., Osburn, M.R., Flynn, T.M., (2018) Dissolved carbon dynamics in meltwaters from the Russell Glacier, Greenland Ice Sheet. Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences 123. doi.org/10.1029/2018JG004458

[16] McFarlin, J.M.*, Axford, Y., Osburn, M.R., Kelly, M.A., Osterberg, E.C., Farnsworth, L.B. (2018) Pronounced summer warming in northwest Greenland during the Holocene and Last Interglacial. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 115, 6357-6362, doi/10.1073/pnas.1720420115

[15] Chang, R., Bird, L., Barr, C., Osburn, M., Wilbanks, E., Nealson, K., Rowe, A. (2018) Thioclava electrotropha sp. nov., a versatile electrode and sulfur-oxidizing bacterium from marine sediments. International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology 68, 1652-1658, doi.org/10.1099/ijsem.0.002723

[14] Johnson, D.B.**, Beddows, P.A., Flynn, T.M., Osburn, M.R. (2018) Microbial diversity and biomarker analysis of modern freshwater microbialites from Laguna Bacalar, Mexico, Geobiology 16, 319-337, doi.org/10.1111/gbi.12283

[13] Momper, L., Kiel Reese, B., Zinke, L., Wanger, G., Osburn, M.R., Moser, D., Amend, J.P., (2017) Major phylum-level differences between porefluid and host rock bacterial communities in the terrestrial deep subsurface, Environmental Microbiology Reports 9, 501-511, doi.org/10.1111/1758-2229.12563

[12] Hardisty, D.S., Lu, Z., Bekker, A., Diamond, C.W., Gill, B.C., Jiang, G., Kah, L.C., Knoll, A.H., Loyd, S.J., Osburn, M.R., Planavsky, N.J., Wang, C., Zhou, X., Lyons, T.W., (2017) Perspectives on Proterozoic surface ocean redox from iodine contents in ancient and recent carbonate. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 463 159-170, doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2017.01.032

[11] Osburn, M.R., Dawson, K. S., Fogel, M.L., Sessions, A.L., (2016) Fractionation of hydrogen isotopes by sulfate- and nitrate-reducing bacteria. Frontiers in Microbiology 7, 318–316, doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2016.01166

[10] Kochetkova, T.V., Kublanov, I.V., Toshchakov, S.V., Osburn, M.R., Novikov, A.A., Bonch-Osmolovskaya, E.A., Perevalova, A.A., (2016) Thermogladius calderae gen. nov., sp. nov., an anaerobic, hyperthermophilic crenarchaeote from a Kamchatka hot spring. International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology 66, 1407–1412, doi.org/10.1099/ijsem.0.000916

[9] Dawson, K.S., Osburn, M.R., Sessions, A.L., Orphan, V.J., (2015) Metabolic associations with archaea drive shifts in hydrogen isotope fractionation in sulfate-reducing bacterial lipids in cocultures and methane seeps. Geobiology 13, 462-477, doi.org/10.1111/gbi.12140

[8] Osburn, M.R., Owens, J., Bergmann, K.D., Lyons, T.W., Grotzinger, J.P., (2015) Dynamic changes in sulfate isotopes preceding the Ediacaran Shuram Excursion. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 170, 204-224, doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2015.07.039

[7] Osburn, M.R., LaRowe, D.E., Momper, L.M., Amend, J.P., (2014) Chemolithoautotrophy in the continental deep subsurface: Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF), USA. Frontiers in Microbiology 5, 1-14, doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2014.00610

[6] Osburn, M., Grotzinger, J., Bergmann, K., (2013) Facies, stratigraphy, and evolution of a Middle Ediacaran carbonate ramp: Khufai Formation, Sultanate of Oman. AAPG Bulletin 98, 1631-1667, doi.org/10.1306/07291312140

[5] Meyer-Dombard, D.R., Amend, J.P., Osburn, M.R., (2013) Microbial diversity and potential for arsenic and iron biogeochemical cycling at an arsenic rich, shallow-sea hydrothermal vent (Tutum Bay, Papua New Guinea). Chemical Geology 348, 37-47, doi.org/10.1016/j.chemgeo.2012.02.024

[4] Osburn, M.R., Sessions, A.L., Pepe-Ranney, C., Spear, J.R., (2011) Hydrogen-isotopic variability in fatty acids from Yellowstone National Park hot spring microbial communities. Geochimica Cosmochimica Acta 75, 4830-4845, doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2011.05.038

[3] Osburn, M.R., Amend, J.P., (2011) Thermogladius shockii gen. nov., sp. nov., a hyperthermophilic crenarchaeote from Yellowstone National Park, USA. Archives of Microbiology 193, 45-52, 10.1007/s00203-010-0639-8

[2] Timmer, R., Woodward, L., Kempter, K., Kelley, S., Osburn, G.R., Osburn, M., Buffler, R., Lawrence, J.R. (2006) Preliminary geologic map of the Jarosa quadrangle, Rio Arriba County, New Mexico, New Mexico Bureau of Mines and Mineral Resources, Open-file Digital Geologic Map OF-GM 128, scale 1:24,000.

[1] Kelley, S., Osburn, G.R., Ferguson, C., Kempter, K., Osburn, M., (2004) Geologic map of the Seven Springs 7.5-minute quadrangle, Rio Arriba and Sandoval Counties, New Mexico, New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources, Open-file Geologic Map OF-GM 88, scale 1:24,000.

Manuscript Preprints

Ferguson, G., Bailey, L., Kim, J.-H., Osburn, M.R., Reiners, P.W., Drake, H., Stevenson, B., McIntosh, J., Acceleration of Deep Subsurface Fluid Fluxes in the Anthropocene, ESS Open Archive, February 15, 2024

Nichols, F.*, Pontefract, A., Masterson, A., Thompson, M.**, Carr, C., Tucillo, M., Osburn, M.R., Leveraging Machine Learning Approaches to Predict Organic Carbon Abundance in Mars-Analog Hypersaline Lake Sediments, ESS Open Archive, January 24, 2024

Nichols, F.*, Pontefract, A., Dion-Kirschner, H.**, Masterson, A., Osburn, M., Production and Preservation of Lipid Biosignatures in SO4-Rich Hypersaline Lakes of the Cariboo Plateau, EarthAriv, doi.org/10.31223/X55H2W (03/13/2023)

Goldman, A.L., Fulk, E.M., Momper, L, Heider, C., Mulligan, J., Osburn, M.R., Masiello, C.A., Silberg, J.J., Microbial sensor variation across biogeochemical conditions in the terrestrial deep subsurface, BioRiv (02/01/2023)

Bergmann, K.D., Osburn, M.R., Wilcots, J., Cantine, M., Grotzinger, J.P, Fischer, W.W., Eiler, J.M., Bonifacie, M., The Shuram excursion: A response to climate extremes at the dawn of animal life Authorea Preprints (10/11/2022)

McFarlin, J.M.*, Axford, Y.A, Kusch, S., Masterson A., Lasher G., Osburn M.R., Holocene warming drove long-term methane increases in lakes across Greenland, Authorea Preprints (12/7/2022)

Manuscripts Submitted or In Revision

Vidal, E., Lindsay, M.R., Bradley, J.A., Osburn, M.R., Ruff, S.E., Subsurface life on Earth as a key to unlock extraterrestrial mysteries, In Revision at Microbial Biotechnology, resubmitted Oct 2025

Sheik, C., Steen, A., Kiel Reese, B., Wang, D., Osburn, M., Cantner, K., Kieft, T., Colwell, F., Spear, J., Toner, B., Subsurface microbiology and the pressing societal need to support future exploration, In Revision at FEMS Microbiology Ecology, resubmitted Oct 2025

L.E. Ratliff, A.H. Fulford, C.I. Pozarycki, G. Wimp, F. Nichols*, M.R. Osburn, and H.V. Graham, The Vacant Niche Revisited: Using Negative Results to Refine the Limits of Habitability, In revision at Nature Astronomy

Osburn, M.R., Casar, C.P.*, Kruger, B., Momper, L.M.^, Flynn, T, and Amend, J.P., A Timeseries of intraterrestrial microbial ecology in borehole fluids from the Deep Mine Microbial Observatory, SD USA, In Revision for JGR Biogeosciences

Buessecker, S., Nichols, F.*, Pearce, B.K.D., Paris, E., Fisher, L., Klempay, B., Wang, M.,
Pozarycki, C., Odenheimer, A., Plattner, T., Quartini, E., Som, S., Doran, P.T. , Ingall, E., Stockton, A., Cadillo-Quiroz, H., Hörst, S.M., Schmidt, B.E., Glass, J.B. , Bowman, J.S., Osburn, M.R.,  Dekas, A.E., Atmospheric tholins as sustainable substrate for early methanogens. In preparation for Science

Research areas in progress

Within a broad research portfolio, my projects all center on understanding how organisms interface with their environment, how we know, and how these interactions are recorded in Earth History. Major themes of ongoing worth include:

Geobiology of the deep subsurface biosphere:      A primary focus of my laboratory is to understand the biogeochemistry and biosignature production of subterranean microorganisms. My primary field site is the former Homestake Gold Mine, were I have developed the Deep Mine Microbial Observatory, a network of subsurface sampling ports, and have been monitoring the composition of geological fluids and associated microbiology through time. Other field sites include deep mines in Canada and deep wells in the USA.

Geobiology of Caves:      My work on the deep subsurface has led me to question how microbial lifestyles transition from surface soils down to great depth into the crust. Caves are key portals into the shallow subsurface biosphere and can tap inputs from both the surface (drips) and from upwelling deep fluids (seeps). I am investigating the microbial ecology and biosignatures of cave environments to constrain microbes in this landscape. Field locations for this work include Mammoth Cave National Park, KY, USA, Lava Beds National Monument, CA, USA, and submerged caves in the Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico.

Biosignatures in Salt:      It is common knowledge that salt has a strong preservative effect on organic matter, yet the differential behavior of different salts and their effects on the diverse structural categories of organic matter are poorly characterized. My laboratory is investigating magnesium sulfate-dominated hypersaline lakes in British Columbia, CA to characterize the preservation potential of sulfate salts on lipid biomarkers. This project involves strong field, laboratory, and analytical components. We have recently expanded this work to include samples from a range of salinities collected from the South Bay Salt Works in San Diego, CA in collaboration with the OAST working group.

Paleoclimate and proxy development:      My laboratory is working to better understand how water isotopes are recorded in organic matter. This work is centered in Greenland where we have produced detailed lipid hydrogen isotope records of sediment cores as well as modern plants and sediments to simultaneously produce and constrain paleoclimate records in collaboration with Dr. Yarrow Axford. New funding to target the Younger Dryas abrupt climate event and perform a detailed calibration study in far northerly latitudes will expand this work. In additions, I have extended research to include salinity records of the Christmas Islands as well as mid latitude climate of Geneva Lake, WI.

Lipid membrane composition of extreme organisms:    I continue to advance my work on lipid membrane composition of extremophiles through analysis of organisms from ultrabasic systems, subsurface systems, and hypersaline lakes. Any organism that we cultivate in the lab becomes a new data point in this long-term study.

Cultivation of microbial dark matter:      Most microorganisms have not been cultured in the laboratory, limiting our ability to understand their physiology. My lab is actively attempting to cultivate these unusual organisms using a variety of novel techniques including custom growth media, advanced chemical monitoring, metagenomic data mining, and continuous flow reactors. This work is the subject of my Packard Fellowship.

Professional Talks and Presentations

Invited seminars:

April 2026                  Dept. of Earth and Environmental Science, University of Pennsylvania

January 2025             Civil and Environmental Engineering, Northwestern University

October 2024             Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Indiana University

May 2024                   Inaugural speaker, Deep Thoughts Series, SURF Institute

April 2024                  Keynote Speaker, Rocky Mountain Geobiology Symposium

April 2024                  Seminar Series, New Mexico Tech

March 2023               Harvard Origin of Life Initiative, Harvard University

February 2023          Seminar Series, University of Duisburg-Essen

February 2023          CIFAR Virtual Talks, CIFAR

January 2023             School of Earth, Energy, and Envi. Sciences, Stanford University

March 2022               Department of Geosciences, Penn State University

November 2021        Department of Geoscience, UW Madison

April 2021                  Geology, Cal State Fullerton

October 2020             Earth Science, University of Southern California

September 2020        Geological and Atmospheric Sciences, Iowa State University

March 2020               School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Georgia Tech

October 2019             Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences, Rice University

March 2019               Earth and Planetary Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis

April 2018                  Geology and Geophysics, University of Oklahoma

October 2017             Geology and Environmental Geosciences, Northern Illinois University

February 2017          Geophysical Sciences, University of Chicago

February 2015          Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Iowa

March 2015               Geology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

October 2015             Earth and Environmental Science, University of Illinois Chicago

Conference Presentations:

Presentations given by me:

Living in the subsurface: local adaptations that define a global biome, M.R. Osburn, B.S. Stevenson, A. Mohanty, E. Q. Kuiper, L. Momper, C. Casar and B. Kruger, Goldschmidt Conference 2025, Prague, CZ (Invited Keynote)

Organic Matter in the Solar System – Discussion Leader, M.R. Osburn, Gordon Research Conference on Organic Geochemistry 2024, Holderness, NH.

Perspectives from an interdisciplinary Organic Geochemist, M.R. Osburn, Gordon Research Symposium on Organic Geochemistry 2024, Holderness, NH. (Invited Keynote)

Microbial Populations over 4 years in the Deep Mine Microbial Observatory (DeMMO), M.R. Osburn, C.P. Casar*, M, Selensky*, B, Kruger, L, Momper, T,M. Flynn, and J,P. Amend. Gordon Research Conference on Geobiology 2024, Galveston, TX.

Plant colonization and response to late glacial abrupt climate change in south Greenland, viewed through leaf waxes and pollen, M.R. Osburn, B. Fréchette, P. Puleo*, Y. Axford. Fall Meeting of the American Geophysical Union, Chicago, IL 2022.

Geomicrobiology of Mammoth Cave using and isotope geobiology approach, M.R. Osburn, M. Selensky, G.R. Osburn, R. Toomey, R. Olson, Geological Society of America annual Meeting, Portland, OR. 2021 (Invited)

The secret life of intraterrestrials, M.R. Osburn SNOLAB Board of Directors Meeting, Sudbury, Canada, September 2020, virtual.

Organic biosignatures from the Spotted Lakes of British Columbia, M.R. Osburn, F. Nichols*, H. Dion-Kirschner**, C. Carr, and A. Pontefract, OAST team meeting June 2020, virtual.

What emerging tools exist to explore the diversity of metabolism and/or history of life on the planet?, M.R. Osburn, Gordon Research Conference on Geobiology 2020, Galveston, TX. (Invited)

Illuminating Microbial Dark Matter using subterranean geomicrobiology, M.R. Osburn, C. Casar*, C. Webster**, L. Momper^, Packard Fellows Meeting 2019, Monterey, CA.

Organic biosignatures of Mars analog sulfate-dominated hypersaline lakes, M.R. Osburn, H. Dion-Kirschner**, C. Carr, A. Pontefract, Astrobiology Science Conference 2019, Seattle, WA.

Understanding the deep subsurface microbiome: Insights from geochemistry and environmental microbiology, M.R. Osburn, C. Casar*, T. Flynn, B. Kruger, J. Amend, D. Meyer-Dombard, University of Chicago Microbiome Symposium 2019, Chicago, IL. (Invited)

Geobiology of the Deep Mine Microbial Observatory, M.R. Osburn, C. Casar*, L. Momper^, A. Masterson, T. Flynn, B. Kruger, J. Amend. Geobiology Society Meeting, Banff, Alberta, CA. 2019 (Invited)

Using geochemical insights to illuminate deep subsurface microbiology, M. Osburn, C. Casar*, T. Flynn, B. Kruger, American Chemical Society Annual Meeting 2019, Orlando, FL. (Invited)

Life in Land: The deep continental biosphere and its implications for planetary habitability, M.R. Osburn, Thirtieth Annual Kavli Frontiers of Science Symposium 2019, Irvine, CA. (Invited)

Astrobiological characterization of biosignatures from a planetary lava cave analog, M.R. Osburn, B. Kruger, S. Datta, J.J.M. Hathaway, D. Moser, D.E. Northup, K. Papp, J.G. Blank, Goldschmidt Conference 2018, Boston USA

Illuminating Microbial Dark Matter using subterranean geomicrobiology, M.R. Osburn, Packard Fellows 30^th Reunion 2018, San Diego, USA

Carbon cycling and microbial ecology in the Deep Mine Microbial Observatory, M. Osburn, B. Kruger, T. Flynn, C. Casar*. GRC Geobiology, January 2018, Galveston, TX.

Stable, geochemically mediated biospheres in the Deep Mine Microbial Observatory, SD, USA, M.R. Osburn, C. Casar*, B. Kruger, T.M. Flynn, Meeting of the American Geophysical Union 2017, New Orleans LA

Multi-proxy reconstruction of hydroclimate from two interglacial periods in northwest Greenland, M. Osburn, J. McFarlin*, G. Lasher*, M. Kelly, E. Osterberg, and Y. Axford, International Meeting of Organic Geochemistry, September 2017, Florence IT

Stable, geochemically mediated biospheres in the Deep Mine Microbial Observatory, SD, USA. M.R. Osburn, C. Casar*, B. Kruger, T. Flynn, Astrobiology Science Conference, April 2017, Mesa AZ

Life underground at the deep mine microbial observatory, M.R. Osburn, Rock-Hosted Life Workshop, Caltech, Feb 2017, Pasadena CA

The energetic landscape of chemolithotrophy in the continental deep subsurface: Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF), USA, M.R. Osburn, D.E. LaRowe, L.M. Momper, J.P. Amend, MicroEnergy Workshop, Sept 21-26, 2015 Sanderberg, Denmark

Lipid biomarkers of the deep terrestrial subsurface biosphere, M.R. Osburn, F. Schubotz, L.M. Momper, B. Kiel-Reese, R.E. Summons, J.P. Amend, International Meeting of Organic Geochemists, Sept 14-18, 2015, Prague CZ

Assessing microbial diversity of the subsurface using lipid structural variation and isotopic composition, M. Osburn, Deep Carbon Observatory Early Career Workshop, September 3, 2015 Ponta Delgada Azores

Distribution of lipid biomarkers along geochemical gradients in a deep subsurface environment. M.R. Osburn, F. Schubotz, R. E. Summons, J. P. Amend, Astrobiology Science conference, June 15-19, 2015, Chicago IL.

Habitability of the terrestrial deep subsurface: Sanford Underground Research Facility, South Dakota, USA. M.R. Osburn, J.P. Amend, D.E. LaRowe, L.M. Momper, G.P. Wanger, B.K. Reese, M. Y. El-Naggar, R. Bhartia, V.J. Orphan, Y. Jangir, and D. Moser, Astrobiology Science Conference, June 15-19, 2015, Chicago IL

Lipid biomarkers of the terrestrial deep subsurface biosphere, M.R. Osburn, F. Schubotz, R. E. Summons, J. P. Amend, Fall meeting of the American Geophysical Union, December 14-19, 2014, San Francisco CA

Life at SURF: Reaction energetics, microbiology, and intact polar lipid distributions, M.R. Osburn, NASA Astrobiology Institute “Life Underground” all hands meeting, September 15-16, 2014

Coauthored presentations and abstracts:          

2025

Microscale evidence of episodic fluid mixing and microbial activity in deep fracture systems of the Paradox basin, USA, H. Drake^a, L. Bailey, N.M.W Roberts, P. Reiners, M.J. Whitehouse, M.R. Osburn, M. Shah, J. Quade, Z. Wang, G.Ferguson, B. Tikoff, S. Austin, M.P. Fischer, J.C. McIntosh, Goldschmidt Conference 2025, Prague, CZ

2024

Towards Improved Characterization of Isotopic Fingerprints of Subsurface Methanogens, C. Corbo-Galli**, J. Watkins*, B. Stevenson, J. McIntosh, M. Osburn, Fall Meeting of the American Geophysical Union 2024, Washington D.C.

Biomarker Changes along Subsurface to Surface Gradients of the Paradox Basin: Implications for Astrobiology and Mars Exploration, M. Calderon-Marrero**, B. Stevenson, J.McIntosh, M.R. Osburn, Fall Meeting of the American Geophysical Union 2024, Washington D.C.

From Brine to Biosignature: Tracking Microbial Communities in MgSO₄, Hypersaline Mars

Analog Environments, A.J. Pontefract, F. Nichols*, M.R. Osburn, C.E. Carr, M. Barklage, B. Klemplay and J.S. Bowman, Fall Meeting of the American Geophysical Union 2024, Washington D.C.

Seasonal and Spatial Variation of δ2H in Willow (Salix arctica) Plant Waxes from High Arctic Greenland, S. Chugh**, M.T. Tuccillo*, Y. Axford, M.R. Osburn, Fall Meeting of the American Geophysical Union 2024, Washington D.C.

The Mammoth Cave Methane Mystery, E.Q. Kuiper, B. Osburn, R. Toomey, R. Olson, B.S. Stevenson, M.R. Osburn, Fall Meeting of the American Geophysical Union 2024, Washington D.C.

Do Aquatic Organic Macrofossils Reliably Record Lakewater Oxygen Isotopes? A Summary of Validations from Greenland, Y. Axford, P. Puleo, J. McFarlin, G. Lasher, M. Chipman, B. Edgerton, M.R. Osburn, Fall Meeting of the American Geophysical Union 2024, Washington D.C.

Holocene Periods of Lake Stratification, Anoxia, and Major Lake-Level Change Revealed by High Resolution Sedimentary Pigment Analyses in a Small South Greenland Lake, M. Tuccillo, S. Garla, M.R. Osburn, B. Nash, Y. Axford, Fall Meeting of the American Geophysical Union, 2024, Washington D.C.

Ancient to Modern Geological and Hydrologic Forcings Drive Deep Biosphere Across Colorado Plateau, J. McIntosh, H. Drake, M. Osburn, P. Reiners, M. Fisher, S. Austin, A. Martini, J-H Kim, B. Stevenson, N.M.W. Roberts, C. Hiett, B. Tikoff, G. Ferguson, GSA Connects 2024, Anaheim CA.

Mapping Food Web Dynamics of Mammoth Cave Using Carbon And Nitrogen Amino Acid-Specific Isotope Analysis, Morra, K^, Vincent, Z.**, Toomey, R., Osburn, M., IsoEco 2024, Fredericton, CA

Leveraging Machine Learning Approaches to Predict Organic Carbon Abundance in Mars-Analogue Hypersaline lake Sediments, Nichols F.*, Pontefract, A., Masterson A.L., Carr, C.E., Thompson, M.**, Osburn, M., AbSciCon 2024, Providence RI.

Unraveling Subsurface Microbial Metabolisms and Nutrient Flow Using Amino Acid Isotopes, Shah, M.*, Morra, K.^, Stevenson, B., Osburn, M. GRC Geobiology 2024, Galveston, TX.

2023

The Anthropocene in the Deep Subsurface G. Ferguson, J. McIntosh, P. Reiners, M.R. Osburn Fall Meeting of the American Geophysical Union, San Francisco, 2023.

Hydrogeochemical Evolution of Groundwater in the Colorado Plateau, J. McIntosh, J.-H. Kim, M. Osburn, A. Martini, B. Stevenson, G. Ferguson, Fall Meeting of the American Geophysical Union, San Francisco, 2023.

A Biological Tipping Point? Sediment Accumulation Rates from a South Greenland Lake Point to an Abrupt Late Holocene Drop in Primary Productivity, M.T. Tuccillo, B.C. Nash, S. Garla, P.J.K. Puleo, M.R. Osburn, Y. Axford. Fall Meeting of the American Geophysical Union, San Francisco, 2023.

Developing a Proxy for Seasonality of Arctic Climate: δ¹⁸O of Seasonal Aquatic Moss Growth. P.J.K. Puleo, M.R. Osburn, M. Tuccillo, P.D. Akers, B.G. Kopec, J.M. Welker, Y. Axford, Fall Meeting of the American Geophysical Union, San Francisco, 2023.

Microbe-rock-fluid interactions at the bottom of the kilometers-deep Critical Zone, J. McIntosh, J.-H. Kim, L. Bailey, M. Osburn, H. Drake, A. Martini, P. Reiners, B. Stevenson, G. Ferguson, Fall Meeting of the American Geophysical Union, San Francisco, 2023.

Unraveling Subsurface Microbial Metabolisms and Nutrient Flow Using Amino Acid Isotopes, Shah, M.*, Morra, K^, Stevenson, B, Osburn, M., CIFAR Earth 4D. Toronto, ON., Nov.7, 2023

Stable O and H isotopes of lacustrine organic materials as proxies for lakewater isotopes: insights from a decade of research in Greenland Y. Axford, M. Chipman, H. Dion-Kirschner, G. E. Lasher, A. L. Masterson, J. M. McFarlin, P. J. K. Puleo, M. R. Osburn, GSA Connects, Pittsburg PA, 2023

Deciphering Diagenetic Influences and Local Conditions In Late Ediacaran Strata, Central Oman, K. Bergmann, I. Gomez-Perez, N. Anderson, M.D. Cantine, J. Wilcots, A.B. Jost, M.R. Osburn, and A. Gerdes, GSA Connects, Pittsburg PA, 2023

Follow the Energy – Microbial Strategies Across Heterogeneous Terrestrial Subsurface Environments, B. Stevenson & M. Osburn (Invited), ISSM, Banff CA, 2023.

2022

Understanding Deep Subsurface Microbial Ecosystems across distinct aquifers of the Paradox Basin J. Watkins*, B.S. Stevenson, J. Kim, J.C. McIntosh, M.R. Osburn, Fall Meeting of the American Geophysical Union, Chicago, IL 2022.

Microbial Membrane Lipids from Mars Analog Hypersaline Lakes, M. Thompson**, F. Nichols*, A. Pontefract, M.R. Osburn, Fall Meeting of the American Geophysical Union, Chicago, IL 2022.

Common Era Hydroclimate Variability in the Central Tropical Pacific, J.L. Conroy, D. A. Wyman, M.R. Osburn, A.R. Atwood, M.C. Higley, M. Chen, R. Oeste, Fall Meeting of the American Geophysical Union, Chicago, IL 2022.

Ammonia After Dark: Constraining Microbial Aerobic Ammonia Oxidation in Mammoth Cave Sediments, A. Hsiao**, M. Selensky*, Z. Vincent, R. Toomey, M.R. Osburn, Fall Meeting of the American Geophysical Union, Chicago, IL 2022.

Compound-Specific Isotopes Record Incorporation of Methane-Derived H into Aquatic Plant Waxes in Arctic Lakes during the Middle Holocene, J. McFarlin*, Y. Axford, S. Kusch, A.L. Masterson, G.E. Lasher, M.R. Osburn, Fall Meeting of the American Geophysical Union, Chicago, IL 2022.

Microbes to Meta: Mapping Food Chain Dynamics of Mammoth Cave using Stable Isotopes, Z. Vincent**, M. Selensky*, R. Toomey, M.R. Osburn, Fall Meeting of the American Geophysical Union, Chicago, IL 2022.

Burial and Denudation Alter Microbial Life at the Bottom of the Kilometers-Deep Critical Zone, J. McIntosh, J-H. Kim, L. Bailey, J. Watkins, A. Martini, P. Reiners, M. Osburn, H. Drake, G. Ferguson, GSA Connects, Denver, Colorado, 2022

Microbial sensor abundance across different biogeochemical conditions in the terrestrial deep subsurface, A.L. Goldman, E.M. Fulk, M.R. Osburn, L. Momper, C. Heider, J. Mulligan, C.A. Masiello, and J.J. Silberg, 18^th International Symposium on Microbial Ecology, Lausanne, Switzerland, 2022

Lipid Biomarkers in Unique Hypersaline Lakes, F. Nichols*, M.R. Osburn, A.L. Masterson, A. Pontefract, Gordon Research Conference on Organic Geochemistry, Holderness NH, 2022

Constraining the Shuram δ¹³C Excursion with the ^δ44/40Ca – δ^88/86Sr multi-proxy, N.L. Sarvian, A.D. Jacobson, T. Chung-Swanson, M. Hurtgen, M.R. Osburn, K. Bergmann, Goldschmidt, Honolulu HI, 2022

Biosignatures in Unique Mars-Analog Hypersaline Environments, F. Nichols*, M.R. Osburn, A.L. Masterson, A. Pontefract, Astrobiology Science Conference, Atlanta, GA 2022

2021

Habitability and biosignature preservation in a sulfate brine: lessons from the “spotted” lakes A. Pontefract, F. Nichols, M.R. Osburn, C. Carr, Geological Society of America annual Meeting, Portland, OR. 2021 (Invited)

Isotopic Depletions in Lipid Biomarkers Suggest Subsurface Carbon Fixation in Lava Caves

M.J. Selensky, A.L. Masterson, J.G. Blank, S.C. Lee, M.R. Osburn, International Meeting of Organic Geochemists, Montpellier, France (virtual), 2021.

Application of the δ^44/40Ca – δ^88/86Sr multi-proxy to the Shuram Carbon Isotope Excursion N. L. Sarvian*, A.D. Jacobson, M. T. Hurtgen, M.R. Osburn, K. D. Bergmann. Goldschmidt 2021, Lyon, France (in theory).

Subsurface lithoautorophy revealed through unique biomarker distributions and compound-specific carbon isotopes M.J. Selensky*, A.L. Masterson, J.G. Blank, S.C. Lee**, M.R. Osburn, 30^th International Meeting on Organic Geochemistry, Montpellier, France (in theory).

2020

Isotopic evidence for carbon fixation within a lava tube system, M.J. Selensky*, A.L. Masterson, J.G. Blank, M.R. Osburn, Goldschmidt 2020.

Radiogenic and stable Sr isotope records preceding the Sturtian snowball earth event, N.L. Sarvian*, A.D. Jacobson, M.T. Hurtgen, M.R. Osburn, A.C. Maloof, Goldschmidt 2020.

Biogeochemical clues to the isotopic mystery of Saratoga Springs, G. Lollar, O. Warr, E. Rutledge, M. Osburn, Goldschmidt 2020.

Stable Sr isotopes and the Neoproterozoic carbonate cycle, N.L. Sarvian*, A.D. Jacobson, M.T. Hurtgen, M.R. Osburn, A.C. Maloof, Goldschmidt 2020.

Taxonomic and functional diversity in the continental deep subsurface: Do different methods change our view? C. Casar*, L. Momper^, B. Kruger, M. Osburn, Gordon Research Conference on Geobiology 2020, Galveston, TX.

2019

The VALKYRIE Payload for probing the Martian subsurface, M. Mischna, V. Stamenkovic, N. Lanza, R.E. Grimm, J.F. Mustard, V.J. Orphan, K.L. Rogers, K. Zacny, B. Sherwood Lollar, B. Menez, T. Spohn, A.-C.Plesa, J. Michalski, and M.R. Osburn, Fall Meeting of the American Geophysical Union, December 2019, San Francisco, CA

Diverse terrestrial evidence for Holocene temperature trends over Greenland: A view from beyond the ice sheet, Y. Axford, M.L. Chipman^, L. Larocca*, G.E. Lasher*, J.M. McFarlin* and M.R. Osburn, Fall Meeting of the American Geophysical Union, December 2019, San Francisco, CA

Greenland Ice Sheet mass loss during the Last Interglacial and middle Holocene despite paleolimnological evidence for increased atmospheric moisture, J.M. McFarlin*, Y. Axford, M.R. Osburn, A.L. Masterson and G.E. Lasher*, Fall Meeting of the American Geophysical Union, December 2019, San Francisco, CA

Microbial succession in hypersaline, alkaline Mono Lake, CA A. Phillips, D.R. Speth, L.G. Miller, F. Wu, X. T. Wang, D. Potocek, P.M. Medeiros, M.R. Osburn, H. Johnson, L. Trower, W. Berelson, A.J. West, W.W. Fischer, V.J. Orphan, H. Betts, A.L. Sessions and Geobiology Course 2017 & 2018, Fall Meeting of the American Geophysical Union, December 2019, San Francisco, CA

Organic and isotopic biosignatures of lava tubes, M.J. Selensky*, M.R. Osburn, and J.G. Blank, Midwest Geobiology Symposium, October 2019, St. Louis, MO

A stable strontium isotope record of pre-Sturtian carbonates spanning a large δ¹³C anomaly, N.L. Sarvian*, M.T. Hurtgen, A.D. Jacobson, A.C. Maloof, and M.R. Osburn, Midwest Geobiology Symposium, October 2019, St. Louis, MO

Big data in geobiology: Applications to DeMMO, C. Casar* and M. Osburn, Midwest Geobiology Symposium, October 2019, St. Louis, MO

The role of fluid residence time and colonization substrate in deep subsurface microbial community structure, H.M. Sapers, R. Bhartia, G. Wanger, J.P. Amend, B. Kruger, C. Casar*, M. Osburn, V.J. Orphan, Goldschmidt, August 2019, Barcelona, Spain.

Following carbon in subsurface, alkaline spring environments: Analogs for icy worlds in the Philippines, D. Meyer-Dombard, D. Cardace, M.R. Osburn, Astrobiology Science Conference, June 2019, Seattle, WA

NASA’s BRAILLE Project: Results from the 2018 field campaign at Lava Beds National Monument (N. CA, USA) J.G. Blank, A. Colaprete, T. Cohen, S. Datta, D.P. Moser, A.V. Nefian, D.E. Northup, M.R Osburn, T.L. Roush, C. Stoker, U. Wong, The BRAILLE Team, Astrobiology Science Conference, June 2019, Seattle, WA

Combining geochemistry and microbial ecology to understand habitability and processes in the subsurface terrestrial biosphere, L.M. Momper^, C. Casar*, B. Kruger, T.M. Flynn, M.R. Osburn, Astrobiology Science Conference, June 2019, Seattle, WA

Life Underground: Investigations of the terrestrial subsurface biosphere with an eye towards extraterrestrial planetary bodies, J. Amend, M.R. Osburn, R. Bhartia, M. El-Naggar, D.P. Moser, K.H. Nealson, B. Orcutt, V.J. Orphan, Astrobiology Science Conference, June 2019, Seattle, WA

Organic biosignatures in a Mars-analog lava tube system, Lava Beds National Monument, CA, M. Selensky*, M.R. Osburn, J. Blank, Astrobiology Science Conference, June 2019, Seattle, WA

Mineral-hosted biofilm communities in a deep subsurface Mars-analog system: The Deep Mine Microbial Observatory, SD, USA, C. Casar*, M.R. Osburn, T.M. Flynn, A.L. Masterson, B. Kruger, Astrobiology Science Conference, June 2019, Seattle, WA

The Role of ionic composition and concentration on biosignature preservation: Lessons from the “Spotted” Lakes of British Colombia, A. Pontefract, C.E. Carr, M.R. Osburn, Astrobiology Science Conference, June 2019, Seattle, WA

2018

A calibration of hydrogen isotope ratios of sedimentary plant waxes as a proxy for meteoric water in the Arctic. J.M. McFarlin*, Y. Axford, A. Masterson, M.R. Osburn, Fall meeting of the American Geophysical Union, December 2018, Washington DC

Spatial and temporal dynamics of microbial sulfur cycling during the onset of meromixis in Mono Lake, California, M.C. Figueroa, S.A. Parra, Q. Zhu, B. Conley, D.R. Speth, D.R. Monteverde, A. Phillips, L. Miller, A. Sessions, V. Orphan, W. Fischer, M. Osburn, 2018 International Geobiology Course Participants. Fall meeting of the American Geophysical Union, December 2018, Washington DC

An assessment of microbial mat and microbially influenced mineral age, carbon bigeochemistry, lipid profiles, and eukaryotic and prokaryotic community structure in lava caves to inform life detection targets. B. Kruger, D. Moser, D. Northup, M. Osburn, J. Hathaway, M. Spilde, J. Blank, K. Papp. Fall meeting of the American Geophysical Union, December 2018, Washington DC

Transformation of ancient organic carbon in exposed organic-rich black shale of the Monterey Formation, Naples Beach, CA, C. Casar*, A. Karbelkar, G. Vinnichenk, M. Chen, M.R. Osburn, V. Osburn, W.W. Fisher, A.L. Sessions., Fall meeting of the American Geophysical Union, December 2018, Washington DC

Mineral-hosted biofilm communities in the continental deep subsurface. C.P. Casar*, M.R. Osburn, T.M. Flynn, A.L. Masterson, B.R. Kruger, International Society for Microbial Electrochemistry and Technology, September 2018, Minneapolis, MI

Metabolic potential and activity in The Continental Deep Subsurface at the Sanford Underground Research Facility, South Dakota, USA, J.P. Amend, M.R. Osburn, L.M. Momper, G.P. Fournier, C. Magnabosco, A.R. Rowe, K. Abuyen, J. Feyhl-Buska, International Symposium on Microbial Ecology, August 2018, Leipzig, Germany.

Using DUV Raman and fluorescence spectroscopy to localize biomass and identify microbial activity, H.M. Sapers, R. Bhartia, J. Amend, B. Kruger, S. Mullin, M. Osburn, G. Wanger, V.J. Orphan, International Symposium on Microbial Ecology, August 2018, Leipzig, Germany.

Microbes, minerals and electrodes at the Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF): Electrochemistry 4000 ft below the surface. A. Rowe, K. Abuyen, B. Lam, C. Cesar, B. Kruger, M. Osburn, M. El-Naggar, J. Amend, American Society for Microbiology, June 2018, Atlanta GA

Hydrogen isotope ratios of sedimentary plant lipids as a proxy for meteoric water in the Arctic. J.M. McFarlin*, Y. Axford, A. Masterson, M.R. Osburn, GRC Organic Geochemistry, June 2018, Holderness NH

BRAILLE Field Campaign I: Astrobiology instrument testing and science sampling at Lava Beds National Monument (N. Ca, USA), A Planetary caves analog site. Blank, Battazzo, Bieler, Cohen, Colaprete, Datta, Deans, Hathaway, Ingham, Moser, Nefian, Northup, Osburn, Rogg, Roush, Stoker, Tardy, White, and Wong, Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, March 2018, Houston TX

Potential sources of carbon in terrestrial, energy limited environments, D.R. Meyer-Dombard, D. Cardace, C. Arcilla, M.R. Osburn, K.M. Woycheese, E.L. Shock, GRC Geobiology, January 2018, Galivston TX

Life in the continental deep subsurface: A case study at SURF, South Dakota, J. Amend and M.R. Osburn, GRC Geobiology, January 2018, Galivston TX

2017

Cultivating the deep subsurface microbiome, C.P. Casar*, M.R. Osburn, T.M. Flynn, A.L. Masterson, B.B. Kruger, Fall meeting of the American Geophysical Union, December 2017, New Orleans LA

A Compound-specific hydrogen isotope record at the onset of Ocean Anoxic Event 2, Kaiparowitz Plateau, Southern Utah, Todes, J.**, Jones, M.M.*, Sageman, B.B., Osburn, M.R. Fall meeting of the American Geophysical Union, December 2017, New Orleans LA

Genomic evidence of chemotrophic metabolism in deep-dwelling Chloroflexi conferred by ancient horizontal gene transfer events, L. Momper, C. Magnabosco, J. Amend, M.R. Osburn, G. Fournier. Fall meeting of the American Geophysical Union, December 2017, New Orleans LA

Microbes, minerals and electrodes at the Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF): Electrochemistry 4100 ft below the surface, A.R. Rowe, K Abuyen, C. Casar*, M. Osburn, B. Kruger, M. El-Naggar, J. Amend. Fall meeting of the American Geophysical Union, December 2017, New Orleans LA

Constraining lipid biomarker paleoclimate proxies in a small Arctic watershed, H. Dion-Kirschner**, J. McFarlin*, Y. Axford, M. Osburn, Fall meeting of the American Geophysical Union, December 2017, New Orleans LA

Sedimentary lipids as a paleoclimate proxy in Greenland, J.M. McFarlin*, M. Osburn, Y. Axford, G. Lasher*, Midwest Geobiology Symposium 2017, Indianapolis IN

Cultivating the deep subsurface microbiome, C.P. Casar*, M.R. Osburn, T.M. Flynn, A.L. Masterson, B.B. Kruger, Astrobiology Science Conference, April 2017, Mesa AZ

2016

Iodine constraints on Proterozoic shallow ocean redox and their biological implications, D.S. Hardisty, Z. Lu, A. Bekker, B.C. Gill, G. Jiang, L.C. Kah, A.H. Knoll, S.J. Loyd, M.R. Osburn, N.J. Planavsky, P.K. Swart, X. Zhou, C.W. Diamond, and T.W. Lyons. Gordon Conference on Geobiology 2016, Galveston TX

Microbial diversity, electrode cultivation, and metabolism energetics in the continental deep subsurface, J. Amend, M. Osburn, L. Momper, B. Reese, Y. Jangir, G. Wanger, B. Kruger, And M. El-Naggar. Goldschmidt Conference 2016 Yakohama Japan

The carbonate clumped isotopic record of paired dolomite and calcite from the Sultanate of Oman, K.D. Bergmann, J.P. Grotzinger, S. Al Balushi, M. Osburn, W.W. Fischer, J.M. Eiler, Dolomieu 2016, Italy

Eemian and Holocene interglacial climate in northwest Greenland inferred from insect assemblages, lipid δ²H, and chitin δ¹⁸O preserved in lake sediments, McFarlin, J.*, Axford, Y., Osburn, M., Lasher*, G., Kelly, M., Osterberg, E., Francis, D., Farnsworth, L., Fall meeting of the American Geophysical Union, December 2016, San Francisco CA

2015

Holocene and last interglacial continental climate inferred from insects and n-alkanes in lake sediments from northwest Greenland, J. Mcfarlin*, Y. Axford, M.R. Osburn, M.A. Kelly, E.C. Osterberg, G.E. Lasher*, L. Farnsworth, D. R. Francis, North-Central Section Geological Society of America Annual Meeting, May 19-20, 2015. Madison WI

Correlating geochemistry and microbial community composition in the deep continental biosphere, L.M. Momper, M.R. Osburn, J.P. Amend, Astrobiology Science Conference, June 15-19, 2015, Chicago IL

Surface ocean oxygenation coincident with the Late Neoproterozoic Shuram carbon isotope excursion and animal diversification, D.S. Hardisty, Z. Lu, M.R. Osburn, S. Loyd, X. Zhou, G. Jiang, N. J. Planavsky, T.W. Lyons, Astrobiology Science Conference, June 15-19, 2015, Chicago IL

Holocene temperature shifts around Greenland: Paleolimnological approaches to quantifying past warmth and documenting its consequences, Y. Axford … M. Osburn, et al., Fall Meeting of the American Geophysical Union Dec 13-18, 2015, San Francisco CA

Lacustrine records of continental climate in northwest Greenland through the Holocene and Last Interglacial, J. McFarlin*, Y. Axford, M. Osburn et al., Fall Meeting of the American Geophysical Union Dec 13-18, 2015, San Francisco CA

 

Key to Author Status Symbols  

*                Northwestern graduate student

**              Northwestern undergraduate student

^               Northwestern postdoctoral scholar

name        Senior author status

Peer-Review and Related Activities

Editorial boards and Activities:

• Associate Editor – Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 2023 – present
• Associate Editor – JGR Biogeosciences                         2022 – present
• Associate Editor – Geobiology 2020 – present
• Special Collection Organizer – JGR Biogeosciences “Microbial Geochemistry, Chemical Geobiology, and Geobiochemistry: Integrated Approaches to Understanding the World Around Us: A tribute to Jan Amend ”                       2025 – present
• Topic editor – Front.in Micro. – Microbial Dark Matter 2022 – 2023

Review Panels:

• NASA ICAR                      April 2025
• NASA Exobiology             August 2020

Manuscript Reviews for:

• Nature Communications 2022 – present 1 per year
• Science Advances 2022 – present 2 per year
• PNAS 2021 – present, 2 per year
• Nature Geoscience             2019 – present, 2 per year
• The ISME Journal             2019 – present, 1 per year
• Geology             2019 – present, 1 per year
• Organic Geochemistry             2013 – present, 1 per year
• Geobiology Journal             2014 – present, 1 per year
• Frontiers in Microbiology             2014 – present, 2-4 per year
• Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 2014 – present, 2 per year
• Environmental Microbiology 2014 – present, 1 per year
• Biogeosciences             2016 – present, 0-1 per year
• Additional reviews completed for: Chemical Geology, American Journal of Science, GeoArabia, FEMS microbiology letters, Rapid Communications in Mass spectrometry, Pedosphere.

Proposal Reviews:

• NSF: Low temperature geochemistry and geobiology
• NASA: Exobiology
• NSF: Major Research and Instrumentation
• S. Army Corps of Engineer’s

Professional Affiliations and Service

Professional Organizations:  American Geophysical Union (AGU), European Association of Organic Geochemists (EAOG), Geochemical Society (GS), Earth Science Women’s Network (ESWN), Geobiology Society, American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

Professional Service

Chairwomanships:

• Gordon conference on Geobiology – vice co-chair 2026 meeting
• Gordon conference on Geobiology – co-chair 2028 meeting
• Organic Geochemistry Division – Geochemical Society 2024 – present

Committees:

• Geochemical Society Board 2024 – present
• SURF Science Program Advisory Committee             2021 – present
• SURF Non-Physics Strategic Planning Steering Com. 2024 – present

Conference Sessions and Themes:

• Session Convener: Microbial Geochemistry, Chemical Geobiology, and Geobiochemistry: Integrated Approaches to Understanding the World Around Us, Fall Meeting of the American Geophysical Union Dec 9-13, Washington D.C., 2024
• Theme Chair: Biogeochemical Cycles and Their Signatures, Goldschmidt Conference, Chicago IL, 2024
• Session Convener: Recognizing preserved microbial signatures in modern and ancient environments, Goldschmidt, June 21-26, 2020, Honolulu, HI, then virtual.
• Session Convener: Earth 4D, A deep dive into the habitability of the blue planet. Fall Meeting of the American Geophysical Union Dec 9-13, 2019, San Francisco, CA.
• Theme Chair: of the Geobiology theme for the Goldschmidt Conference, Boston, August, 2018.
• Session Convener: Unearthing the metabolic potential of microorganisms in the deep subsurface biosphere, Fall Meeting of the American Geophysical Union Dec 10-15, 2017, New Orleans, LA.
• Session Convener: Life detection lessons from analogue environments, Astrobiology Science Conference, April 2017, Mesa AZ.
• Session Convener: Advances in stable isotope geochemistry for understanding microbial ecosystems, Fall Meeting of the American Geophysical Union Dec 13-18, 2015, San Francisco, CA.
• Session Convener: Habitability of extraterrestrial analog environments, Magdalena Osburn, Astrobiology Science Conference, June 2015, Chicago IL.
• Session Convener: Understanding microbial ecosystems using isotope geochemistry, Fall meeting of the American Geophysical Union, December 2014, San Francisco, CA.

Symposia:

• Symposium Convener: Earth and Environmental Science in Action for a Rapidly Changing World, June 6^th, 2025, Evanston, IL.
• Symposium Convener: Midwest Geobiology Symposium, September 2022, Chicago IL.
• Symposium Convener: Midwest Geobiology Symposium, October 2018, Evanston, IL.
• Symposium Co-Convener: Midwest Geobiology Symposium, September 2014, Chicago IL.

External Instruction:

• Faculty Instructor, International Geobiology Course, Caltech, July 2020 – canceled by Covid-19
• Faculty Instructor, International Geobiology Course, Caltech, July 2019. (3-week commitment: lectures, labs, instruction, data reduction, and analysis)
• Faculty Instructor, International Geobiology Course, Caltech and Catalina Island, July 2018. (3-week commitment, lectures, labs, instruction, data reduction and analysis)
• Faculty Instructor, International Geobiology Course, Caltech and Catalina Island, July 2017. (3-week commitment, lectures, labs, instruction, data reduction and analysis)
• Lecturer, International Geobiology Course, Catalina Island, July 2015. (1-week commitment, three lectures and student instruction)

Department, College, and University Service

I have conducted substantive departmental service, including leadership of our curriculum committee during the overhaul of our undergraduate curriculum, chaired a tenure line faculty search committee, and founded and advised our student Geoclub.

Department of Earth and Planetary Science:

• Earth Seminar – Coordinated departmental seminars and colloquia.

              2021-present

• Curriculum Committee – Overhaul of undergraduate curriculum to more accurately reflect student interests and department specialties. Revision of graduate curriculum is underway starting in 2019 and extending into the 2020-2021 academic year.

              Chair               2016 – present

              Member          2015 – 2016

• Faculty Director NU-SIBL Director          2023 – present

• NU Geoclub – Founded and mentored our student geoscience club, starting first as a departmental organization and then extending to an official WCAS undergraduate club with a parallel graduate student organization. Club members are active in recreational community building, environmental stewardship, and outreach and education activities.

              WCAS Faculty sponsor         2018 – present

              Founder & Faculty mentor    2015 – 2018

• EPS Search Committee – lead Geophysics search 2019-2020 (canceled by Covid-19 after we had selected top candidates and extended one offer).

              Chair               2019 – 2020

              Member          2018 – 2019

• IRMS Laboratory Manager Search Committee

                        Chair               2015 – 2016

                        Chair               2023 – 2023

• Scott Award Nomination Committee 2020 – reviewed nominations for our department graduate award for academic excellence.

Northwestern University:

• WCAS Committee on Tenure, 2023 – present
• Anthropocene NICO Research Networking Luncheon Series – 2024, 2025
• Selection Committee for the Weinberg College Teaching Awards, 2024
• Department of Chemistry, Search committee – 2023
• Ad hoc member of Limited Submission Advisory Committee – 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023
• Finite Earth-Networking luncheon series – 2018
• Member of the One Book One Northwestern Advisory Committee – 2019, 2020

Teaching and Advising

I view teaching and advising as core parts of my role as a NU faculty member and have put significant emphasis on these activities. I have thus far developed 5 courses all featuring substantial active learning and laboratory components. I have achieved very high marks in teaching evaluations (average course score 5.6 out of 6, instructor score 5.8 out of 6), have received student coordinated recognition via the Northwestern University Associated Student Government Faculty and Administrator Honor Roll, the Weinberg Faculty Teaching award, and recognition from the Northwestern Canvas Hall of Fame: Most Innovative Course Site award.

Undergraduate research is a particular passion of mine as well owing to its critical role in my own development. Thus far I have employed and/or mentored 24 undergraduates in my laboratories, two of whom have published first author papers originating from their research. 

Course development and teaching:

Earth 450: Subsurface: Real Estate, Residents, & Resources – (New Build) Spring 2025 – An interdisciplinary upper undergraduate and graduate level seminar focused that will transport students underground, examining aspects of subsurface hydrology, geology, and microbiology. We will aim to examine each of these aspects focusing on regional case studies and using a range of tools, holistically building a better understanding of how the subsurface works in its natural state and how this may change in the Anthropocene.

Earth 450: Seminar Supercharged! – (New Build) Fall 2019 – A graduate level seminar developed to increase the engagement of our graduate students in departmental seminars. During the course we would read and discuss a paper by the seminar speaker, attend seminar, and then meet with the speaker for additional questions and reflection.

Earth 440: Special Topics in Geochemistry – Nitrogen Isotopes – (New Build) Fall 2018 – A graduate level seminar focused on unwinding the complexities of the nitrogen cycle and the state-of-the-art literature on the isotopic fractionations associated with each process.

Earth 450: Special Topics– Hydrogen Isotope Biogeochemistry – (New Build) Winter 2021 – A graduate level seminar focused on understanding the hydrogen isotopic landscape of the geosphere, biosphere, and hydrosphere and then understand how we can use organic hydrogen isotopes to reconstruct paleoclimate.

Earth 204: Communication for Geoscientists – (New Build) Winter 2018, 2019, 2020 – An undergraduate course aimed at teaching our majors scientific writing, reading, and presentation so they may be better prepared for careers in the geosciences.

Earth 373: Microbial Ecology – (New Build) Winter 2016, Spring 2018, Spring 2020 – An upper level undergraduate to graduate level course detailing aspects of microbial ecology including microbial physiology, microbial interaction types, syntropy with plants and animals, and diversity of specific environments.

Earth 370: Geobiology – (New Build) Spring 2015, 2017, 2019 – An upper level undergraduate to graduate level course taught using a partially flipped, active learning-based method covering key players, biogeochemistry, and techniques of geobiology as well as a walk through the geobiology of Earth through time.

Earth 331: Field Problems in Sedimentary Geology – Fall 2014 – I co-caught this field and literature-based course with Brad Sageman. The course featured a three-week field trip to CO and UT and an extensive literature review. I specifically contributed knowledge on carbonate environments in the field and on use of Adobe Illustrator software in the lab.

Students

Undergraduates currently under my advisement:

Elise Neat                              Class of 2026

Amelia Freeland                  Class of 2027

Elizabeth Aaseng                 Class of 2027

 

Undergraduate Lab Alumni:

Shailen Chugh                      Graduated with honors 2025, now Caltech grad student

Chiara Corbo-Galli              Graduated with honors 2025

Maria Calderon-Marerro   Class of 2026 (Cornell University)

Franny Bengtson                 Graduated with honors 2024, now med student at Georgetown

Annelise Goldman               Class of 2021 (Rice University)

Emily Kelleher                     Graduated with honors 2024

Mia Thompson                     Graduated with honors 2023, M.A. student at Dartmouth

Zoe Vincent                          Graduated with honors 2023, PNNL research scientist

Abby Hsao                             Graduated with honors 2023

Annelise Goldman               Graduated with honors 2023 (Rice University)

Dana Johnson                       Graduated with honors 2016, Ph.D. student at UW Madison

Jordan Todes                        Graduated with honors 2018, Ph.D. student at U. of Chicago

Hannah Dion Kirschner     Graduated with honors Jan 2019, Ph.D. student at Caltech

Bethany Ketchum               Graduated 2018, US Forest Service Employee

Natalia Obrzut                     Loyola, graduated 2018, NU CEE graduate student

Jordan Foster                       Montana Tech, class of 2020

Annamarie Jedziniak         Graduated class of 2021

Kaila Christensen                Graduated lass of 2021

Aida Zeleke                           Graduated lass of 2023

Sohyun Lee                           Graduated lass of 2021

Caroline Webster                Graduated lass of 2021

Ari Sloss                                Graduated lass of 2023

Kyra Lin                                Graduated lass of 2022

Graduate students under my advisement:

Meera Shah               5th year – Meera is using biosignatures to track the deep subsurface biosphere, specifically amino acid isotopes and lipid biomarkers.

Esmée Kuiper          3nd year – Esmée is working to better constrain the role of methanotrophs in subsurface ecosystems.

Anurup Mohanty     3nd year – Anurup is working to understand the mode of microbial life in deep crystalline aquifers in the context of astrobiology.

Dominique Kelly     2nd year – Dominique is co-advised by Dr. Ludmilla Aristilde and is focused on understanding how nutrient limitation and mineral availability change the metabolism of microbes in the lab.

Lab Graduate Alumni:

Floyd Nichols           Graduated in 2024 and worked on understanding biomarker production and preservation in hypersaline environments of Western Canada. Now post doc at Virginia Tech.

Jackson Watkins      Earned his Masters in 2024 working on aspects of deep subsurface microbiology and ecology in deep sedimentary basins.

Matt Selensky           Graduated in 2023 and worked on the microbiology, lipid production, and carbon cycling in cave environments.

Nilou Sarvian           Graduated in 2023 and worked on possible microbial fraction of Ca and Sr isotopes and Neoproterozoic isotopes excursions. (Co-Advised by M. Hurtgen and A. Jacobson)

Caitlin Casar             NASA NESSF Fellow; graduated in 2021. Caitlin worked on aspects of the deep biosphere research ongoing in my laboratory. She was an active field participant at the SURF field site and was a key primary user of the microbial cultivation laboratory.

Jamie McFarlin        NSF Graduate Fellow and winner of Scott Research Award; graduated 2019, postdoc University of Colorado Boulder – I co-advised Jamie with Yarrow Axford on the use of hydrogen isotope and lipid biomarker proxies in lake sediments to interpret the paleoclimate of Greenland. (Co-Advised by Y. Axford). Now faculty at Uni. of Wyoming.

Post-Doctoral Scholars:

Kaycee Morra           2021 – 2024

Fabrizio Sabba         2019 – 2021; dishonorable departure.

Lily Momper             2018-2019

NU graduate committees

Dylan Chambers                  Ph.D. Candidate, advised by Elvira Mulyokova

Aurore Niyitanga Manzi     Ph.D. Candidate, advised by Ludmilla Aristilde, NU CEE

Katherine DuRussel           Ph.D. Candidate, advised by Neal Blair, NU CEE

Mia Tuccillo                          Ph.D. Candidate, advised by Yarrow Axford, NU DEEPS

Leila Rquibi                          Ph.D. student, advised by Louise Egerton-Warburton, NU PBC

Ry’yan Clark                         M.S. 2022, advised by Louise Egerton-Warburton, NU PBC

Jieun Kim                              Ph.D. 2023, advised by Neal Blair, NU CEE

External graduate advisees

Maya Robles             University of Tennessee M.A. student

Dr. Allie Wyman      University of Illinois Champagne-Urbana; Ph.D. 2021 – Allie conducted lipid biomarker work on lake sediments from the Christmas Islands in my laboratory. I was on her committee and sat for her qualifying exam and defense.

Outreach and Public Impact

Outreach Activities

• 2022-ongong – Earth Science Discovery Program – Arizona Science Center. As part of the outreach compound of my NSF-FRES grant I am working with Prof. Jen McIntosh to develop outreach activities for 3-6 graders on class field trips. We are introducing them to Earth Science concepts through hands on learning.
• 2021- 2022 – URG2 program founding fellow. This Packard Foundation funded summer internship initiative was conceived of by the Geoscience aligned current fellows. Our goal was to coordinate together to host summer interns from geoscience adjacent students from URM groups in hopes of exposing diverse students to the field. The program launched this year and was a success.
• 2022- ongoing – Chicago Public Schools enrichment volunteer. As part of my NSF CAREER grant, I coordinated and launched a 3 week enrichment module for a classroom of Chicago Public School juniors and seniors. The students were exposed to geomicrobiology topics, lab techniques, and toured Northwestern and my laboratories during the down time after their AP exams.
• 2020 – Faculty Member of Science in Society. This NU research center uses partnerships with Chicago Schools and community groups to expand science education and public engagement. I worked closely with them to prepare education and outreach sections of my CAREER proposals (2019 and 2020) and as a faculty member am on call to help fill needed outreach positions and facilitate graduate student outreach activities.
• 2019 – Organized “Q+A with NASA Hidden Figure Andrea Mosie, Apollo Moon Rock Processor”. This public event featured a candid conversation with Ms. Mosie about her role in Apollo, her trajectory in life as a black woman scientist, and a moon specimen show and tell. 

Publicity

• 2024 – “The Mysterious, Deep-Dwelling Microbes That Sculpt Our Planet” New York Times Magazine, June 24, 2024
• 2024 – my work is featured in “Becoming Earth: How our Planet came to life” Ferris Jabr, Random House
• 2023 – “A decade of extremophiles” Juliet Winger, Sanford Lab News
• 2023 – Subterranean ‘Microbial Dark Matter’ Reveals a Strange Dichotomy (written by Stephanie Pappas) Scientific American, December 12, 2023
• 2023 – People behind the Science podcast. 738: Dr. Magdalena Osburn: Combining Geology and Microbiology to Investigate Modern and Ancient Microbes
• 2020 – Detailed interview and visit with science writer Ferris Jabr to be a focus of his book Becoming Earth. Ferris joined us in the field in December 2019 to see our subsurface field science in action then visited the laboratories in February 2020 to interview me and see microscopy in person.
• 2020 – Distinguished Alumni Focus article – Department of Earth and Planetary Science, Washington University in St. Louis annual newsletter (2 page spread)
• 2018 “Meet the Discoverers” Scientist Profile in Astrobiology chapter of an Astronomy textbook by MacMillan Learning