Tullis Onstott
Tullis Onstott | |
|---|---|
| Born | Tullis Cullen Onstott January 12, 1955 Carlsbad, New Mexico, U.S.[1] |
| Died | October 19, 2021 (aged 66) Oracle, Arizona, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | California Institute of Technology Princeton University |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Geology |
| Institutions | Princeton University |
| Thesis | Paleomagnetism of the Guayana Shield, Venezuela and its implications concerning Proterozoic tectonics of South America and Africa (1981) |
| Doctoral advisor | Robert B. Hargraves |
| Other academic advisors | Derek York |
| Website | https://onstott.princeton.edu/about |
Tullis Onstott (January 12, 1955 – October 19, 2021) was a professor of geosciences at Princeton University who has done research into endolithic life deep under the Earth's surface. In 2011 he co-discovered Halicephalobus mephisto, a nematode worm living 0.9–3.6 km (0.56–2.24 mi) under the ground,[2] the deepest multicellular organism known to science. He won a LExEN Award for his work "A Window Into the Extreme Environment of Deep Subsurface Microbial Communities: Witwatersrand Deep Microbiology Project".[3] In 2007, Onstott was listed among Time Magazine's 100 most influential people in the world.[4]
Life and education
[edit]Onstott attended the California Institute of Technology and was awarded a B.S. in Geophysics in 1976. He later moved to Princeton University to earn a M.A. in 1978 and later a Ph.D. in 1980, both in Geology, under the direction of Robert B. Hargraves.[5] After receiving his doctoral degree, Onstott, spent the next three years as a postdoctoral fellow in Derek York's laboratory at the University of Toronto performing research involving 40Ar/39Ar geochronology, before returning to Princeton as a professor.[6] Onstott died October 19, 2021, after a long illness.[7]
Research
[edit]Research projects include:[8]
- South African Deep Microbiology: characterizing the microbiology and geochemistry of continental crust down to 5 km (3.1 mi).[9]
- Indiana-Princeton-Tennessee Astrobiology Institute: preparing for the search for life beneath the surface of Mars.
- 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 metal sulphides.
The first two research projects were done in collaboration with stable isotope biogeochemist and colleague Lisa Pratt of Indiana University.[10]
References
[edit]- ^ Valenti, Denise (October 22, 2021). "Tullis Onstott, innovative geologist, explorer of subsurface life, and revered 'gentle soul,' dies at 66". Princeton University.
- ^ Borgonie, J.; García-Moyano, A.; Litthauer, D.; Bert, W.; Bester, A.; van Heerden, E.; Möller, C.; Erasmus, M.; Onstott, T. C. (2011). "Nematoda from the terrestrial deep subsurface of South Africa". Nature. 474 (7349): 79–82. Bibcode:2011Natur.474...79B. doi:10.1038/nature09974. hdl:1854/LU-1269676. PMID 21637257. S2CID 4399763.
- ^ "Limits Of Life On Earth: Are They The Key To Life On Other Planets?". EurekAlert!. October 15, 1997.
- ^ Abe, Shige (2007-05-03). "NAI's Tullis Onstott makes Time 100". National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Archived from the original on 2010-07-31.
- ^ Onstott, Tullis Cullen (1981). Paleomagnetism of the Guayana Shield, Venezuela and its implications concerning Proterozoic tectonics of South America and Africa (Ph.D. thesis). Princeton University. OCLC 46407032. ProQuest 303126269.
- ^ Onstott, Tullis. "Curriculum vitae" (PDF). Princeton University. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 2, 2018. Retrieved September 14, 2018.
- ^ Mangat, Sandeep (October 28, 2021). "Geosciences professor Tullis Onstott GS '80 dies at 66". The Daily Princetonian.
- ^ Onstott, Tullis. "Princeton University Home Page". Archived from the original on 2010-09-15. Retrieved 2010-12-01.
- ^ Ross, Valerie (June 26, 2012). "Discover Interview: Tullis Onstott Went 2 Miles Down & Found Microbes That Live on Radiation: Bacteria found in gold mines and frozen caves show the extreme flexibility of life, and hint at where else we might find it in the solar system". Discover Magazine.
- ^ "These bacteria use radiated water as food". Indiana University. October 19, 2006.
External links
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