Geobiology Research Group (Duda Lab)

Our team is broadly interested in the deep and intertwined histories of life and Earth. Seeking to understand how our modern world came into being, we explore complex interactions between living and non-living matter across temporal and spatial scales. We are particularly fascinated by microbial metabolisms, which have been powerful drivers of environmental change through our planet’s long history. Topics include:

• Formation & preservation of microbial biosignatures
• Origins & early evolution of life on Earth
• Geo-bio interactions in modern & ancient environments
• Paleoecology & taphonomy of fossil lagerstätten
• Relationship between evolution & environmental change

Our research integrates studies on the ancient rock record and fossils with investigations of younger analogue systems and experimental work. In order to develop a robust understanding of geobiological key-processes in the Earth-life system through geological time, we combine field and laboratory based analytical approaches from paleontology, geomicrobiology, sedimentology, and biogeochemistry.