Research in the Fischer Group.
We
study the coevolution of life and Earth surface environments through diverse and fundamental transitions in Earth history—singularities that forever changed the way in which these partners
interact—to understand these transitions mechanistically and in detail. These research questions
are historical in nature and stem from geological observations. We employ field geology,
petrography, and geochemical measurements on returned field samples, and laboratory
experiments concerning the metabolisms and molecular biology of selected extant organisms,
chosen to provide insight into ancient geobiological processes.
Current research projects include: Evolution of oxygenic photosynthesis and the rise of atmospheric oxygen. Techniques to understand how sedimentary rocks preserve geobiological information through episodes of diagenesis and metamorphism. History and behavior of the C and S cycles. Origin of Archean and Proterozoic iron formation. Distribution and evolution of lipid biomarker synthesis. Coupled behavior of redox and acid-base processes at critical transitions in Earth History. End-Ordovician mass extinction and climate change.
Research opportunities in the Fischer Group.
