Professor of Chemistry
Senior Fellow, Space Sciences Lab
Phone: 510-642-4192
307 Lewis Hall
UC Berkeley
Berkeley, CA 94720
Subject areas:
Research
Development of microfluidic technologies and bioanalysis methods that advance biotechnology and space exploration. Our approach is to exploit miniaturization of chemical and bioanalysis along with high-sensitivity fluorescence detection to produce integrated microfabricated lab-on-a-chip microanalysis systems. Our current focus is on a project with the Berkeley Space Sciences Lab to develop an instrument called the Enceladus Organic Analyzer or EOA. This instrument is designed to fly through the ice plumes that jet from Saturn’s moon Enceladus and analyze for bioorganic molecules indicative of life. Versions of this instrument for the chemical exploration of Mars and Europa are also envisioned. Our goal is to achieve the first discovery of extraterrestrial life in our solar system.