2026 LIFE NASA RCN Seminar Series: November

NASA | Astrobiology

2026 LIFE NASA RCN Seminar Series

Time: November 10th, 4 PM PDT/7 PM EDT

Title: Rocking the cradle of life:

microbial mats and the rise of complex life

Dr. Brendan Burns is a microbial ecologist and evolutionary biologist at The University of New South Wales in Australia. The group he leads is focused on unraveling the evolutionary and ecological significance of early earth ecosystems, microbial mats. His group is particularly interested in interactions and adaptive response in these systems under threat to environmental change and stress. Most recently his group’s work is revealing key insights into the origin of complex life through analyses of novel Asgard archaea and interacting partners as models of how eukaryotes may have arisen.

Title: Eukaryotes' closest relatives are internally simple syntrophic peptidotrophic archaea

Dr. Masaru Nobu is a biologist and bioinformatician working as a senior researcher at JAMSTEC’s Institute for Extra-cutting-edge Science and Technology Avant-garde Research (X-star), driven by a simple question: why is life the way it is? Drawing on training in biology, geology, and engineering, he combines evolutionary theory, thermodynamics, ecology, and bioinformatics to explore life’s four-billion-year history. His research investigates the origins of life and major cellular lineages, ancient metabolisms, and the overlooked capabilities and partnerships of microorganisms. His lab seeks to understand how evolution has shaped life today and how that knowledge can help us better understand and protect Earth’s ecosystems.

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