Prof. Roger E Summons

The Summons Lab studies organic matter from microbes, environmental samples, and from some of the oldest rocks on the planet. Ancient rocks and oils contain a rich abundance of hidden information within, including molecular and isotopic signatures of the organisms that existed at the time the organic matter was formed. The goal of this research is to extract and interpret these signals in order to reconstruct ancient environments, understand how life evolved within them, and elucidate the foundations of complex life.

Such interaction of the geosphere and biosphere is how we define the field of geobiology. Through this study, we hope to obtain a better understanding of the timing and context of oxygenic photosynthesis (about 3 billion years ago), the conditions that led to the appearance of complex animal life on earth, and the causes of major mass extinction events. The techniques we develop might eventually help us detect signs of life on other planets, the science known as Astrobiology. The lab is primarily funded by the Simons Collaboration on the Origins of Life (SCOL).