Origins of Life

System apparatus for thermal gradient chimneys

Laboratory Simulations of early Earth Hydrothermal Vents

Hypothesis

Here I developed a new apparatus to test the effects of temperature gradients on the growth and structure of artificial vents. This constituted 3D printing a continuous flow cooling chamber to pump cold water through in order to cool down the ocean to roughly 0-2 degrees celsius.

Results

Here we see variety of different morphologies of chimneys due to surrounding temperatures and concentrations of FeS chimneys. See paper for detailed results and methods.

A–D) Non-thermal gradient control experiment from room-temperature hydrothermal fluid (HTF) to room-temperature ocean simulant. (E–H) Thermal gradient chimney experiment from room-temperature HTF simulant to a cold ocean reservoir (~5-10 °C).

Laboratory Simulations of early Earth Hydrothermal Vents

Hypothesis

Here I worked on various projects for NASA Astrobiology Institute for Icy Worlds, simulating ocean hydrothermal vents. In this projects I created iron-sulfide (FeS) chimneys to test for electrochemical activity. Probes were (E1-E4) were set in and around the chimney to test for electrochemical potential of these chimneys. This electrochemical energy may have played a role in creating a proton gradient for FeS chimneys, that is building a energy barrier where short polypeptides on the chimney membrane could have formed. Modern day methanogens use these chimneys as a energy source in precisely the same manner. Not to mention, our own cells energy center, the mitochondria works in exactly the same way.

Data Analysis

Results

Here we see the change in potential in reference to the surrounding ocean and at precisely where all the electrodes were placed. During peak reaction time, voltage reached its maximum peak. Each experiment took approximately 400 minutes to complete.

Voltage measurements recorded and analyzed during length of chimney growth (from inside and outside the membrane of the chimney).

Here is the 2-layer CNN model to help recognize amino acids names.

Using Machine Learning to Study Electrolyte Solutions of Salts and Amino Acids at Various Temperatures for Future Exploration on Planetary Bodies

Hypothesis

Here I contributed to experiments containing solutions of salts an amino acids held at various temperatures and a applied voltage perturbed the solutions as direct measurements were to monitor the electrical activity for these various organic solutions. Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN’s) were applied to data collected in order to asses whether the CNN can actively detect amino acids in the solution. This process would provide an immense benefit for future instrumentation sent to Mars in the search for life.

Data Analysis

Results

Data showing positive results for accuracy in general for various temperatures and solutions (classifiers) using MATLAB. See paper for more info.

Origins of Life

Laboratory Simulations of early Earth Hydrothermal Vents

Results

Laboratory Simulations of early Earth Hydrothermal Vents

Data Analysis

Using Machine Learning to Study Electrolyte Solutions of Salts and Amino Acids at Various Temperatures for Future Exploration on Planetary Bodies

Data Analysis

Timelapse Galley of Chimneys

Timelapse of Iron-Sulfide Chimney in an Hadean like ocean.

Iron-Sulfide Chimney 2

Thermal Gradient Test of Iron Sulfide chimney vs. Room Temperature Control