Science Friday The Humble Microbe Could Help Us Understand Life Itself
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Sep 23, 2025 Microbiologist Paula Welander, a professor at Stanford University, dives into the world of ancient life forms. She reveals how fossilized microbes provide insights into Earth's earliest days and their potential connections to life on other planets. Welander discusses the extraction of lipid 'chemical fossils' from rocks and the significance of extremophiles in understanding early biosignatures. She also addresses the challenges of interpreting findings from Mars and emphasizes the importance of basic research in exploring life's origins.
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Chemical Fossils Reveal Hidden Life
- Microbes leave chemical fossils in rocks as preserved organic molecules, especially lipids.
- These chemical fossils let scientists read ancient ecosystems without hard morphological remains.
Why Lipids Preserve Through Deep Time
- Lipids are durable membrane molecules that protect microbes and survive geological processes.
- Conserved lipid structures let researchers link modern extreme environments to ancient ones across billions of years.
Field Samples, Lab Science
- Paula studies microbes from hot springs, vents, and methane-rich mud volcanoes that require extreme conditions.
- She prefers lab work while students and colleagues collect samples in the field for cultivation back in the lab.