Research in our group is on the interfaces of chemistry, geology, and biology. We apply interdisciplinary knowledge and tools to probe environmental processes such as “hot” hydrothermal organic transformations in the oceanic crust and “cold” permafrost carbon degradation in the Arctic. Our research interests mainly fall into the following two areas:
Organic geochemistry – we are interested in how minerals influence organic geochemical reactions on Earth, particularly in hydrothermal systems. We carry out hydrothermal experiments to understand the reaction pathways and mechanisms, with respect to origin of life, petroleum hydrocarbon degradation, deep carbon cycle, and green chemistry.
Biogeochemistry – we are also interested in the organic-mineral-microbe interactions in soil and aquatic ecosystems, with a current focus on Arctic tundra and wetlands in Michigan. Our research incorporates field sampling, microbial incubation, chemical analysis, and geochemical modeling to study organic carbon and nitrogen transformations during biogeochemical processes.
