Research

The goal of my research is to explore the relationship between inorganic and organic components of biogeochemical habitats and further explore the geologically imposed conditions that permit biological functions. Biogeochemistry focuses on the interactions between biology and geology. It is rapidly emerging into a highly quantitative field due to experimental and theoretical advances in the study of aqueous organic geochemistry and progress in understanding geochemical processes that support life.

I am also investigating the formation and transformation of organic compounds during water-rock interactions. I use measurements of the thermodynamic properties of aqueous organic compounds to construct geochemical models of aqueous environments, including groundwater and hydrothermal fluids. These models help me understand the geochemical parameters that are conducive to organic compound synthesis and stability during geological processes.

Much of my work also involves refinement of the methods used to estimate thermodynamic properties of organic compounds for which measurements are not available. These methods are also used to improve the accuracy of calculations of reaction properties at elevated temperatures and pressures, up to the critical point of water.

 
Selected Current Research Projects
Molecular Geobiology and Geochemistry Laboratory