My interests focus on bacteria and bacteriophage viruses in extreme environments (sea ice in the Arctic and Southern oceans), and how knowledge of these bacteria informs the search for life on cold bodies in our solar system. I work in the Deming Lab at the UW, and in collaboration with a group of engineers and scientists at Caltech using microscopy for life detection.
In addition to scientific research, I have an interest in science for both the public policy and outreach. I am interested in policy in the Arctic, how scientific research of the environment can inform decision making on international scales, and how we can apply lessons of international cooperation from regions like the Arctic to formulate policy for space.
You can follow more of what I do on my website, gmshowalter.com