My PhD research, funded by Space It Up! (SIU!) and supported by the Italian Space Agency (ASI), investigates the Alalobad geothermal field (Afar, Ethiopia) as a planetary field analogue for early Earth and early Mars. The site represents an active geothermal system characterized by high temperatures, alkaline conditions, silica-rich deposits, and microbial habitats developing across steep physicochemical gradients. Importantly, the field also preserves fossil hydrothermal facies, providing the opportunity to examine both ongoing and past mineralization processes within the same geological framework.

Geothermal systems are key astrobiological targets because they combine liquid water, thermal and redox gradients, and rapid mineral precipitation processes capable of recording biological activity. The coexistence of active and fossil deposits at Alalobad offers a unique natural laboratory to investigate how biosignatures form, become stabilized, and persist over time.

By integrating geological and microbiological perspectives, this research aims to characterize microbe–mineral interactions and assess the preservation potential of biological signals in extreme environments. Constraining the processes that control biosignature formation and transformation is essential for improving our understanding of early Earth systems and refining life-detection strategies relevant to Mars exploration.

Click here for more information and here to view my poster.