David Des Marais
NASA Ames Research Center
Senior Research Scientist

Dave Des Marais has studied the stable isotope geochemistry of lunar rocks and soils, midocean ridge basalts, carbonaceous meteorites, geothermal gases, and ancient (Precambrian) shales and carbonates. He also coordinated a 15 year consortium study of cyanobacterial mat ("biofilm") communities, which serve as modern analogs of ancient biological communities. He is a participating scientist with the Mars Exploration Rover, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and Mars Science Laboratory missions. Des Marais has published more than 130 research articles, seven book chapters, and several articles for popular press. He currently serves as an associate editor for the journals Astrobiology and Geobiology .

For more information on astrobiology research led by Des Marais' team, see:

http://amesteam.arc.nasa.gov/

http://nai.arc.nasa.gov/institute/lead_teams_detail.cfm?ID=1