Biology

Biology is central to two of the most profound questions surrounding Mars: whether life ever existed there, and whether humans can sustain life on its surface. Biologists study living organisms and the conditions they require, work that spans the search for ancient Martian microbes, the challenge of growing food on another planet, and the effects of the Martian environment on human beings.

The search for life drives much of the science. Mars was once far warmer and wetter, and biologists help determine whether its early environment could have supported microbial life — and whether any trace of it might survive today in the subsurface. Closer to human needs, biologists tackle the problem of growing food in sealed habitats, engineering plants and biological systems to produce sustenance, recycle waste, and even generate oxygen. The study of how organisms endure extreme conditions informs both the hunt for Martian life and the design of Earth life that could thrive there.

Programs in biology cover molecular and cellular biology, genetics, ecology, and physiology. Graduates contribute to astrobiology, life-support agriculture, and the human health research that underpins any lasting presence on Mars.