PhD in Geobiology - Planetary Geobiology in Pasadena United States | California Institute of Technology

This innovative field emerges naturally from Caltech's established expertise in geobiology, geochemistry, geology, and planetary science. While geobiology explores life-environment interactions on Earth, planetary geobiology expands this inquiry to other celestial bodies. We can investigate whether planets and moons in our solar system currently or previously offered conditions suitable for microbial life. In simple terms, a habitable environment requires water, carbon and nutrient sources for metabolic processes, and energy to sustain those processes—essentially, the fundamental components for life as we understand it on Earth. Additionally, if microbial life did emerge on these worlds, which locations and materials would provide the best samples to verify this possibility? Answering these questions involves applying Earth-based geobiological models for microbial and fossil detection, utilizing orbital satellite mapping, and deploying rover missions with sophisticated laboratory equipment. Increasingly, this work resembles terrestrial geobiology research—just conducted through robotic proxies rather than human investigators.