Science at Interfaces, from Biochemistry to Cosmochemistry

Jeffrey L. Bada is Emeritus Distinguished Research Professor of Marine Chemistry at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego. Professor Bada's research deals with the chemistry of amino acids, the synthesis and stability of organic compounds on the primitive Earth and other solar system bodies and the detection of possible remnants of ancient life on Mars both by in situ analyses on the planet, and from the study of Martian meteorites. Dr Bada has been Principal Investigator (PI) and Co-PI on several NASA and National Science Foundation grants for studies on the origin of life and the development of in situ instrumentation for use in the search for organic compounds on planetary bodies, especially Mars. Professor Bada has published one book, The Spark of Life: Darwin and the Primordial Soup (2001), and over 300 journal articles, and has supervised the PhD thesis research of 20 graduate students and numerous postdoctoral students.