Brook Nunn

Brook Nunn is the director of the Environmental Proteomics Center at the University of Washington and is also on the Steering Committee for the NASA Network for Life Detection (NFOLD) Research Coordination Network

I have a wide range or specialties in the life sciences and in chemistry. While my training is in analytical chemistry, I have focused my recent research on using and developing state-of-the-art tandem mass spectrometry technology to analyze and decipher how organisms or communities of organisms, such as a microbiome, adapt to a changing environment. I collaborate with a range of researchers allowing me to explore unique ecosystems such as coral, hydrothermal vents, the open ocean, and microbiome.
I recently was given the honor of being on the NASA steering committee to help decide how to detect life on other planetary bodies. My area of research focusses on peptide and amino acid based life forms.
I have expertise in crime scene investigations and forensic chemistry. I have developed a curriculum that teaches students how to critically think and use forensic chemistry to provide court-accepted facts to solve crimes.

My research interests include

• Understanding how different organisms adapt to their unique surroundings by examining their protein expression.
• Biogeochemical recycling of organic matter, specifically proteins, in the marine water column and in sediments.
• Understanding the chemical interactions between bacteria and particles in the ocean.
• Examining why proteins are preserved in sediments for long periods of time.