Tullis Onstott
Encyclopedia
Tullis Onstott is a professor of geosciences at Princeton University
who has done research into endolith
ic life deep under the Earth's surface. In 2007, Onstott was listed among Time Magazine's 100 most influential people in the world. In 2011 he co-discovered Halicephalobus mephisto
, a nematode worm living 0.9 – under the ground, the deepest multicellular organism known to science.
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
who has done research into endolith
Endolith
An endolith is an organism that lives inside rock, coral, animal shells, or in the pores between mineral grains of a rock. Many are extremophiles, living in places previously thought inhospitable to life...
ic life deep under the Earth's surface. In 2007, Onstott was listed among Time Magazine's 100 most influential people in the world. In 2011 he co-discovered Halicephalobus mephisto
Halicephalobus mephisto
Halicephalobus mephisto is a species of nematode, among a number of other roundworms, discovered by geoscientists Gaetan Borgonie and Tullis Onstott in 2011. It was detected in ore recovered from deep rock fracture water in several gold mines in South Africa , , and under the surface of the Earth...
, a nematode worm living 0.9 – under the ground, the deepest multicellular organism known to science.
Research
Research projects include:- South African Deep Microbiology: characterizing the microbiologyMicrobiologyMicrobiology is the study of microorganisms, which are defined as any microscopic organism that comprises either a single cell , cell clusters or no cell at all . This includes eukaryotes, such as fungi and protists, and prokaryotes...
and geochemistryGeochemistryThe field of geochemistry involves study of the chemical composition of the Earth and other planets, chemical processes and reactions that govern the composition of rocks, water, and soils, and the cycles of matter and energy that transport the Earth's chemical components in time and space, and...
of continental crustContinental crustThe continental crust is the layer of igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks which form the continents and the areas of shallow seabed close to their shores, known as continental shelves. This layer is sometimes called sial due to more felsic, or granitic, bulk composition, which lies in...
down to 5 km (3.1 mi). - Indiana-Princeton-Tennessee Astrobiology Institute: preparing for the search for life beneath the surface of MarsMarsMars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the Solar System. The planet is named after the Roman god of war, Mars. It is often described as the "Red Planet", as the iron oxide prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance...
. - Natural Earthquake Laboratory in South African Mines: installed a field laboratory at 3.8 km (2.4 mi) depth, exploring the relationship between seismic activity and microbial diversity and activity.
- Anaerobic biostimulation for the in situ precipitation and long-term sequestration of metalMetalA metal , is an element, compound, or alloy that is a good conductor of both electricity and heat. Metals are usually malleable and shiny, that is they reflect most of incident light...
sulphides.