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S3 E3: Earth Science, Oceanography and Astrobiology with Jodi Young and Fabian Klenner
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In this episode of FieldSound, we meet two researchers who work in vastly different systems, but whose paths cross in the interdisciplinary field of astrobiology.
Jodi Young is an assistant professor and biological oceanographer at the University of Washington who studies tiny, yet mighty, marine microalgae that play a crucial role in our planet's ecosystems. She’s fascinated by how these algae manage to survive and even flourish in the harsh, icy and briny waters of the polar regions — still somewhat of a mystery.
As a member of the UW Future of Ice Initiative and Associate Director of the UW Astrobiology Program, Jodi Young’s research bridges the gap between Earth’s most remote locations and the potential for life in other worlds. Scientists like Young studying the extreme environments here on Earth can help the groundwork for understanding distant moons and exoplanets, like Ganymede, Mars and Enceladus.
Fabian Klenner is a postdoctoral researcher at UW who focuses on geochemistry, planetary and space sciences and astrobiology. Klenner's work is part of NASA’s Europa Clipper mission, launched on October 14, 2024, with potential discoveries that could change our understanding of life in the universe, and the future of science.
Klenner’s path led him from the quiet countryside to the cutting edge of planetary science, astrobiology and the search for life beyond Earth. Klenner combines laboratory experiments with advanced modeling to understand the chemical and physical processes happening in the oceans of icy moons like Enceladus and Europa, as well as groundbreaking experiments to detect potential biosignatures — clues that life might exist — on distant moons.
Astrobiology is the multidisciplinary science of exploring life beyond our planet — a field that bridges biology, chemistry, astronomy, geology and more to understand the potential that exists in our universe.
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