We work at the interface of biology and chemistry to develop solutions to challenging problems of the coming century. Among these challenges are the issues of food safety and security for the growing population which is forced to grow crops in nutrient poor soils. Due to global climate change, pollution, and other factors, this population also faces new challenges from the microbial world such as increases in the frequency of toxic algal blooms. Many of these challenges overlap with concerns of resource recovery and food security faced by current astronauts and future off-world settlements on Mars, the Moon, and beyond. By developing sustainable, biologically based solutions to conserve astronaut's resources, we can improve our sustainability here on Earth.
The new cryo-SEM has arrived to Olin Life Sciences! Palmer Lab rejoice.
Seniors are preparing for the Northrop Grumman Student Design Showcase coming up on April 25th. Trent Causey, a member of our lab, was interviewed about his project PEANUTS and featured on Florida Tech social media. Check out his interview on Facebook or Instagram!
28th - 30th: Eight members of the lab enjoyed a 10 hr drive to Raleigh, North Carolina to share science at the Southern Section of the American Society of Plant Biologists conference! Undergraduates Trent Causey, Davonya Cheek, Lucy Turner, Emily Soucy, McKenna Taylor, Josh Ahrens, and Trevor Mello presented competitive posters. Special congratulations go to Lucy and McKenna, who tied for 3rd place at the conference!
21st: The annual meeting of the Florida Academy of Sciences hosted much of our lab in the undergraduate poster session including Lucy Turner, McKenna Taylor, Trent Causey, and Davonya Cheek, and one of our graduate students for an oral presentation, Haley Murphy.
11th: Congratulations to PhD student Steven Elsaid who has been awarded the Provost's Seed Grant for his project TASR, which will explore the possibility of methanogen bacteria surviving on Mars!
3rd - 7th: Lab members traveled to San Juan, Puerto Rico to share their work at the American Society of Gravitational and Space Research! Graduate students Steven Elsaid, Haley Murphy, Caitie Hubric, Hayley Ernest, Frannie Edmonson, and undergraduate student Trent Causey presented posters and networked at their first space-related conference. Florida Tech's new Provost John Z. Kiss welcomed the students to this organization, for which he served as President from 2003-04. The group was joined by Dr. Kiss to travel for a hike through El Yunque.
14th: Congratulations to David Handy, PhD, who graduates today! David is moving on to be a Postdoctoral Scholar in the Department of Botany and Plant Pathology at Oregon State University. We're proud of you, David!
Drew and graduate student Caitlyn Hubric traveled to Chile this past summer to collect samples and explore the Atacama Desert as a Martian analong! Check out these articles in Florida Tech's magazine and the Space Coast Daily interviewing Drew and Caitlyn about their trip.
19th: Returning members of the Palmer lab are excited to start the year and welcome our new members! Steven Elsaid is an incoming PhD student who received his Bachelor's from UCF and worked in the Exolith lab there, making lunar and Martian regolith simulants. We also welcome new undergraduate members, Anna Weatherwax and Allona Yehiav!
5th: On Star Wars day, five members of the lab graduated. Congratulations to Ruth Nichols, Caitie Hubric, Haley Murphy, and Indigo Boggs for receiving their BS and Dr. Kirstin Curshaw for receiving her PhD in Biological Sciences!
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Drew with the new Cryo-SEM.
Trent Causey with germinated peanuts for his senior project.
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McKenna Taylor and Lucy Turner, who tied for 2nd place at the Southern Section of ASPB!
Congratulations to Dr. David Handy who graduated with his PhD!
Newly hooded Dr. Kirstin Cutshaw with PI Drew Palmer in May '24. Congrats Kirstin!
Undergraduates in Astrobiology receive Bachelor's degrees in May 2024.
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