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VERSION:2.0
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X-WR-CALNAME:Planetary Science and Exploration Seminar\, Eva Scheller: "Sea
 rching for Mars' organic compounds"
X-WR-TIMEZONE:Pacific Time (US & Canada)
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260520T032603Z
UID:tag:localist.com\,2008:EventInstance_48554174220809
DTSTART:20250212T203000Z
DTEND:20250212T212000Z
DESCRIPTION:Abstract: \n\nThe search for organic compounds in the solar sys
 tem is a pursuit central to space mission exploration and our understandin
 g of carbon-based life's potential beyond Earth. The discovery of a once-h
 abitable environment on Mars has made the red planet a central focus in th
 e search for extraterrestrial life and a testbed for characterizing organi
 c compound chemistry on planetary bodies.\n\nUntil the breakthrough discov
 ery of a variety of organic compounds with the Curiosity rover\, the lack 
 of organic compounds on Mars in initial explorations posed a longstanding 
 enigma. It questioned the capacity of Mars-like surface environments to pr
 eserve organic matter\, whether biotic or abiotic. Building on these findi
 ngs\, the Perseverance rover's SHERLOC spectrometer is now at the forefron
 t\, equipped to detect and analyze Martian organics to be returned to Eart
 h for laboratory study. Recent reported findings reveal a surprising diver
 sity of organic molecules\, which – if true – would rewrite our unders
 tanding of organic matter preservation on planetary bodies beyond Earth. D
 uring this seminar\, I will engage in a detailed analysis of the SHERLOC d
 ataset and clarify the intricacies of its signals. I will reach a provocat
 ive different conclusion – that we lack evidence for organic compound pr
 esence in Martian samples.\n\nFinally\, I project into the future to consi
 der how tackling current challenges in Mars exploration improve ongoing an
 d future missions in the broader search for life and prebiotic chemistry i
 n the cosmos.\n\nBio: \n\nB.Sc. in Geoscience - University of Copenhagen\n
 \nPh.D. in geological and planetary sciences - Caltech\n\nHeising-Simons 5
 1 Pegasi b postdoc - MIT\n\nJuly 2025 - Assistant Professor at Stanford \n
 \nMission involvement: sample scientist on Perseverance rover\, science te
 am member of SHERLOC instrument\, previously strategic planning for Persev
 erance rover\, previously science team for Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter\, L
 unar Trailblazer\n\nGenerally work on formation and evolution of planetary
  bodies (mostly known for Mars but broadening out here at Stanford) as inf
 ormed through their chemical composition\, utilizing spectroscopic and mas
 s spectrometric instrumentation. Part of my work at Stanford will be to wo
 rk on chemical instrument development for space missions.
GEO:37.426402;-122.172635
LOCATION:Mitchell Earth Sciences\, B67
SUMMARY:Planetary Science and Exploration Seminar\, Eva Scheller: "Searchin
 g for Mars' organic compounds"
URL;VALUE=URI:https://events.stanford.edu/event/planetary-science-and-explo
 ration-seminar-eva-scheller
CATEGORIES:Class/Seminar
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