LYNNFIELD – Michelle Marder, a University of Rhode Island Ph.D. student originally from Lynnfield, is one of two students, with Kate Remy, to be awarded with a graduate fellowship from the NASA Rhode Island Space Grant Consortium.
This summer, Marder will assist NASA in efforts to research how bacteria survive in extreme environments, including outer space.
That is the aim of NASA’s Astrobiology Strategy; to understand the possible evolutionary adaptations of life on other planets, she explained.
“Studying extremophile microbes on Earth could tell us how life could adapt to extreme conditions elsewhere,” Marder said.
She specializes in cell and molecular biology, working with Prof. Steven Gregory, specifically, on thermophiles and their ribosomal structure, the cellular machine that makes proteins using the genetic information encoded in DNA.
“I’ll be studying how the structure of the ribosome evolves, specifically how it evolves to work in extreme environments like what might be found in space,” Marder said.
NASA initiated the National Space Fellowship Program, or Space Grant, in 1989.
This program is a national network of colleges and universities, working to expand opportunities for Americans to participate in NANA’s aeronautics and space projects.
“Michelle and Kate represent the exceptional talent and curiosity that the NASA R.I. Space Grant Consortium seeks to support,” said Program Manager Nancy Ciminelli. “Their selection for this fellowship recognizes their dedication to research and innovation. We’re proud to be part of a partnership that empowers Rhode Island students to pursue meaningful scientific exploration.”
Marder and Remy shared advice for students looking to conduct research in the field of cellular and molecular biology. They emphasized the importance of exploring one’s curiosities as much as possible.
“Read some papers and get a sense of what you’re interested in,” Marder said. “Don’t be afraid to reach out to professors to learn about the type of work they do or to start doing research in their lab.”
