Shaofan Che, Ph.D.

Research Scientist

Electron Microscopy Lab

shaofanche@unm.edu

Education:  Ph.D., University of New Mexico, 2020

Office: PAIS, Room B210

Research and Academic Interests:

My research explores the formation and evolution of the early solar system through the study of extraterrestrial materials such as meteorites and asteroidal samples, using electron microscopic techniques, including scanning electron microscopy (SEM), focused ion beam (FIB), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). I am particularly interested in how microscopic and nanoscale mineralogical and chemical records preserve evidence of nebular processing and post-accretionary alteration on planetary parent bodies. My current research project aims to systematically investigate submicron materials in the matrices of pristine carbonaceous chondrites to reveal their microstructures and chemical compositions, and to understand their origins and potential relationships with other chondritic components. This work seeks to establish the genetic and physicochemical links among these fundamental building blocks of the solar system.

Tyler Mackey, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences

MicroCT Lab

tjmackey@unm.edu

Education:  Ph.D., University of California-Davis, 2016

Office: Northrop Hall Room 216

Research and Academic Interests:

Sedimentology, geobiology, carbonate geochemistry, diagenesis. My research uses the tools of sedimentology to understand what evidence of microbial communities can enter the rock record, how we recognize these deposits, and what sorts of observations in modern microbial ecosystems can give us useful search patterns to bring back to the rock record. The majority of Earth's history is microbial, so these sediments serve as a window to key evolutionary transitions and changes in habitats through time. Current research projects integrate field studies and laboratory analysis to explore microbial habitats of modern ice-covered Antarctic lakes and assess Neoproterozoic (1000–541 million years ago) environments surrounding the expansion of complex life. 

Marisol Juarez-Rivera, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Scholar

MicroCT Lab

mjuarez4@unm.edu

Education:  Ph.D., Arizona State University, 2021

Office: Northrop Hall, 225C

Research and Academic Interests:

My research focuses on sedimentary systems shaped by microbial activity and environmental change, with an emphasis on biosignature preservation and diagenesis in siliceous hot springs and Antarctic lake ecosystems. I integrate field observations, imaging, and geochemical analyses to understand how physical and chemical processes influence microbial mat dynamics, sedimentary fabric development, and the long-term record of life in extreme environments. This work bridges sedimentology, geomicrobiology, and astrobiology to interpret the environmental context of microbial ecosystems on Earth and beyond.