About
ABOUT ME
LAB MEMBERS
LAB MEMBERS
I am Dr. Amy Smith, a microbial oceanographer who focuses on microbe-mineral interactions in igneous subsurface environments. I am interested in deep-sea hydrothermal vents, the sub-seafloor aquifer, cold seeps, volcanoes, caves, and growing microbes on minerals in the laboratory. These environments are found throughout the Solar System,
I am Dr. Amy Smith, a microbial oceanographer who focuses on microbe-mineral interactions in igneous subsurface environments. I am interested in deep-sea hydrothermal vents, the sub-seafloor aquifer, cold seeps, volcanoes, caves, and growing microbes on minerals in the laboratory. These environments are found throughout the Solar System, including Mars, Europa, and Enceladus, and may hold clues to life's origins and the possibility of life on other worlds.
LAB MEMBERS
LAB MEMBERS
LAB MEMBERS
Students in my lab have opportunities to perform fieldwork, go on research expeditions at sea, and learn molecular biology and microbiology skills in the laboratory. Undergraduates have received funding from NASA to work on astrobiology-related projects. In the Summer of 2025 students will be exploring the cold seeps of the Gulf of Mexico
Students in my lab have opportunities to perform fieldwork, go on research expeditions at sea, and learn molecular biology and microbiology skills in the laboratory. Undergraduates have received funding from NASA to work on astrobiology-related projects. In the Summer of 2025 students will be exploring the cold seeps of the Gulf of Mexico on a scientific cruise with the Peerside Program, run through the Florida Institute of Oceanography.
RESEARCH
LAB MEMBERS
RESEARCH
Much of my research has focused on the seafloor of the Pacific Ocean, with some work on the island of Montserrat in the Caribbean, and this summer I will be in the Gulf of Mexico. I study the microbial ecology and metabolisms of subsurface biofilms, vent and aquifer fluids, and endolithic microorganisms. My aim is to understand how microb
Much of my research has focused on the seafloor of the Pacific Ocean, with some work on the island of Montserrat in the Caribbean, and this summer I will be in the Gulf of Mexico. I study the microbial ecology and metabolisms of subsurface biofilms, vent and aquifer fluids, and endolithic microorganisms. My aim is to understand how microbial interactions with minerals influence metabolic processes like energy metabolism and carbon fixation.