UWAB Prof. John Baross (Oceanography) is the featured scientist for December 2021 in the new 2021 NASA Science Calendar from the NASA Earth Observing System Project Science Office!
Prof. Baross’ citation in the calendar reads:
“Born in 1940, John A. Baross is a professor of oceanography at the University of Washington and Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology. Baross was one of the first to apply the microbiology of extremophiles to expand our view of habitability in the universe on non-Earth-like planets. His research on thermophilic microorganisms and viruses at volcanic vents, including Mount St. Helens, the Juan de Fuca Ridge, and the Lost City Hydrothermal Field, revealed immense microbial diversity in environments previously thought to be too extreme for life. He wrote one of the first papers that outlined the case for life’s origins at submarine hydrothermal vents. He served on numerous national and international planetary protection committees and chaired the NASA-sponsored study by the National Academy of Sciences that examined the possibility of “weird life” based on alternative options for building blocks, solvents, and chemistry necessary for life as we know it. He was one of the founding members of the University of Washington Astrobiology program, one of the top-ranked programs in the world. He mentored eleven doctoral students and trained many other graduates, undergraduates, and postdoctoral trainees, many of whom are now the next generation of leaders in astrobiology.”