Curriculum and more

Scientific expertise and skills

• • Astrochemistry, formation of complex molecules in ices

  • Meteorite organics

  • Astrobiology, origin of organics

  • Cryogenics and high vacuum technics

  • Experimental aqueous alteration

  • Organic/mineral interactions

  • Analytic Tools : IR, MS, GC-MS, LC-MS, NMR, XRD, TGA, Raman, SEM, TEM, XANES, BET 

• • President of the French Exobiology Society : http://www.exobiologie.fr/

  • Co-organizer of the RED school: Astrobiology introduction courses (Rencontre Exobiologique pour Doctorants), each year in Le Teich  http://www.exobiologie.fr/red/index.php/en/red16-astrobiology-course/ 

  • Scientific member of the Dawn/NASA-JPL mission to Vesta and Ceres.

  • Assistant Director of the CNRS Research Group Inter-Laboratory Center for Experimental Supports to the development of space missions (GdR PILSE)

Scientific supervision: 

• • 01/10/2024- .../10/2027 : Océane Pollet, phd Student, "From archeological sediments to meteorites: an interdisciplinary study of organic compounds thought the development of supercirtical fluid extraction and metabolomics approaches", co-direction with Thibault Devièse, CEREGE laboratory, Aix-Marseille University. 

  • 01/10/2024 - .../10/2027 : Luise Jumpertz, phD Student, "Evolution of organic matter in a prebiotic environment: a reductionist approach", co-direction with Grégoire Danger, PIIM. 

  • 01/09/2024 - ...: Dr. Avinash Dass, post-doctorate fellow, funding A*MIDEX project IMOTEP, co-supervision

  • 02/2024-02/2026: Dr. Electra Kotopoulou, post-doctorate fellow, funding A*MIDEX project EXOMIOLE, supervision.

  • 09/2023-09/2025: Dr. Alexandra Perron, post-doctorate fellow, “Experimental investigation of organic-minerals systems as analogs of solar system objects”. Financement ANR ORGAMISS

  • 04/2023-07-2023: Remi Imbert, M1 University Aix-Marseille: “Testing and optimizing the PROBICE device”, co-supervition

  • ·04/2023-07-2023: Nehla Belkadi, M1-University Aix-Marseille, “ Study of amino acid evolution in the presence of minerals under prebiotic conditions ”

  • 07/2022-08/2022: Axel Dian, L3-ENS Paris, "Mechanistic study of the Formose reaction with minerals to understand the formation of sugars on the primitive Earth". 

  • 01/10/2021-28/10/2024: Coline Serra, pHD Student, "Aqueous alteration in the primitive bodies of the solar system, interaction between organic and mineral matters, vector of complexity and diversity of abiotic matter ?"; co-direction with Fabrice Duvernay (PIIM), funding Ecole Doctorale. 

  • 01/10/2021-06/12/2024: Simon Gouzy, pHD Student, "Formation conditions of hydrated silica on Earth and Mars and interactions with organic matter", co-direction with LPG, Nantes, funding ANR PALEOSILICA.

  • 03/2021-08/2021: Lauryane Cazals, 2nd year engineer in Chemistry, CPE Lyon, France “Formation of sugars with minerals in aqueous conditions simulating asteroids”.

  • 04/2021-06/2021: Cloé Prat, 2nd year IUT in chemistry, Montpellier, France, “Kinetic evolution of organic compounds in aqueous conditions at different concentration”.

  • 06/2020-08/2020 Coline Serra.  1st year engineer in chemistry INP-ENSIACET, Toulouse “Evolution of organic compounds with minerals under aqueous alteration”

  • 04/2020-07/2020 Achille Rousseau, 2nd year of IUT in Chemistry at Rennes  “Chimie Analytique et Synthèse”. Développements analytiques pour comprendre l’évolution de la matière organique exogène dans les conditions de la Terre primitive.

Funding and project research

• • 2024-2029: PEPR Origins outreach "RED rencontres exobiologique pour doctorants", PI.

  • 2023-2027: ANR JCJC ORGAMISS (ANR-22-CE49), "ORGAnic-MIneral systems evolution during aqueous alteration in Solar System bodies", PI.

  • 2023-2030: PEPR ORIGINS, Exobiologie Axe 4, contributor

  • 2023-2027: A*MIDEX fondation, university Aix-Marseille, IMOTEP "Investigation of meteoritic organic analogues under terrestrial primitive environments", contributor

  • 2023-2026: A*MIDEX fondation, university Aix-Marseille, EXOMIOL "Exogenic matter impact and origins of life on Earth", Co-I

  • 2023: AAP-CNRS INSU OIRIGINS, Formolife "formation of sugars in prebiotic conditions", PI

  • 2021-2024: ANR PALEOSILICA (ANR-20-CE49-0013-03), "Silica-rich paleo-environments on Early Earth and Mars: implications for paleo-habitability", Co-I, leader of a scientific WP; PI : John Carter.

  • 2020-2024: Thomas Jefferson Fund, projet franco-américain, "Co-evolution of amino acids and minerals under submarine hydrothermal conditions: from the early Earth to icy moons", PI on the french side.

  • 2020-2024: CNES R&T: CHAIS CHirality for in-situ analysis, Co-I

  • 2020-2022: Agenzia Spazial italiana-Istituto nazionale di astrifisoca ASI-INAF (Astrophysic National Institute, Italy), "Development of a pressure/temperature controlled chamber for the study of spectral properties of planetary analogues and meteorites, in support to the interpretation of data from current/future space missions to minor bodies and icy moons" external collaborator, PI. Simone De Angelis.

  • 2019-2020: APR CNRS –MITI,   Co-I., PI. G. Danger

  • 2019, 2020: French national program of planetology, PNP, PI

  • 2019, 2020: APR, Centre national d’étude spatiale (CNES), Projet PILSE, Contributor, PI G. Danger.

  •  Since 2018: ANR RAHIIA_SSOM (ANR-16-CE29-0015) 2016-2020, Contributor, PI G. Danger

  • 2017-2018: Core funded member of a ISSI team led by Mauro Ciarniello: https://www.issibern.ch/teams/churgerasim/

  • Since 2017: Scientific member of the NASA-JPL DAWN Mission.

  • 2017: Grant AstroFit 2, astronomy fellowship in Italy, for 3 years. Declined.

  • 2016-2017: Proposal Syncrotron beamtime, STXM-XANES, SOLEIL, 72 hours; Proposal Synchrotron beamtime, STXM-XANES, Canadian Light Source, 184 hours

  • 2016: Grant from the Natural Museum of National History in Paris for a post-doctorate contract (2016-2017)

  • 2015: ATM program of the Natural Museum of National History in Paris; PI

  • 2012: NASA-astrobiology grant for Astrobiology summer-school

Expertises

·        Reviewer for several journal: Icarus, GCA, Nature, Nature communication, Life, Geophysical journal, Earth and planetary Science letters, ACS Earth and space science.

Thesis jury:

      o   Pauline Levèque, LPG, Nantes « Evolution de la matière organique primordiale dans les satellites de glace et planètes naines :                    approche expérimentale », examinatrice, 09-2024 

o   Isis Criouet, MNHN, Paris « Fossilisation expérimentale en conditions martiennes », examinatrice, 01/2024

o  Anastasiia Shvetsova, LGL et ICBMS, « Hydrothermal polymerization and phosphorylation of prebiotic precursors », invitée, 17/11/2023

o   Alexandra Perron, IPGP, Paris « Les minéraux comme traceurs de vie dans le cadre de la mission spatiale Exomars 2020 de l'ESA », examinatrice, 26/06/2023

o  Membre du comité de suivi individuel de thèse: Grégoire Boé (2022-2025), Institut des sciences moléculaires, Bordeaux, « Synthèse abiotique de molécules organiques à partir de gaz simples et de minéraux catalytiques en simulateur millifluidique de sources hydrothermales »

o  Membre du comité de suivi individuel de thèse: Anastasiia Shvetsova (2020-2023), LGL and ICBMS, University of Lyon. « Hydrothermal polymerization and phosphorylation of prebiotic precursors ».

o  Lora Jovanovic, Latmos, University Versailles-Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, « Experimental study of Pluto’s atmosphere and aerosols», examinatrice, 10/09/2021.

o   Amber Zandanel, Laboratoire Institut des Sciences de la Terre « Fluid-rock interactions on icy moons », examinatrice, 23/02/2021.

o   Pierre Jacquemot, MNHN-IMPMC, « Fossilisation expérimentale du monde à ARN », examinatrice, 30/11/2020.

Curriculum

oct. 2018-...

      Research associate CR CNRS, Laboratory PIIM, Physique des Interactions Ioniques et Moléculaires, team ASTRO, Université Aix-marseille, Centre Saint-Jérôme, Marseille. 

2017-2018

       Post-doctoral Fellow, Institute for Space Astrophysics and Planetology, IAPS-INAF, Roma, Italy

       Characterization of laboratory analogues of solar system materials and space mission data analysis

2014-2017

• • Postdoctoral fellow, Institut de minéralogie, de physique des matériaux et de cosmochimie, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, IMPMC-MNHN, Paris

Evolution of organic matter during hydrothermal alteration on meteorites

2013-2014

• • Research and teaching assistant, Laboratoire interuniversitaire des sciences atmospheriques LISA, University Paris Est-Creteil

Photochemistry of interstellar ice

2010-2013

• • PhD student University Aix-Marseille, Physique des Interactions Ioniques et Moléculaires PIIM

Importance of thermal reactivity in interstellar ice analogues for the formation of complex organics molecules

2008-2010

• • Master degree, University of Lyon 1

Organic Chemistry and synthesis

Teaching

• • Université Aix-Marseille, Marseille, Exobiologie introduction course, L3.

• • University Paris-Est Créteil, France (2013-2014) : Organic chemistry ; Analyticals technics (Infrared, RMN, UV) ; Reactivity in chemistry (acido-basic, oxydo-reduction, thermochemistry...)

• • Junior High School Charcot, Joinville-le Pont: Workshop "Discovery Astronomy"

Scientific Conference Organization and School

• • Exobiologie Jeunes chercheurs, fift Edition 2022 (member of the science comitee), Paris, France.

  • 2022, Co-organizer of the RED school: Rencontre pour Doctorant en Exobiologie, 14-18 March 2022, Le teich, France.

  • 2021, Co-principal organizer of the Exobiology National Conference, 11-14 Octobre 2021; Marseille, https://www.exobiologie.fr/Conference21/

  • Co-Convener session "Prebiotic Chemistry: Insights from Studies of Organics in Laboratory Experiments, Meteorites, and Sample Return Missions", AbSciCon 2019, Seattle, June, USA.

  • Workshop "Bridging the Gap between Astrochemistry and Cosmochemistry". 17-20 June 2019, Carry-Le-Rouet, France.

  • Co-convener session SB2 "Laboratory measurements and models for cometary, asteroidal, dwarf planet and meteoric material studies including organic matter studies" EPSC, Genova, september 2019, Switzerland.

  • Convener of the session SB17/AB3 " Organic Matter in Space" at European Planetary Science Congress (EPSC) 2018, Berlin, Germany

  • Exobiologie Jeunes chercheurs, four Edition 2019, Paris, France.

  • Exobiologie Jeunes Chercheurs, third Edition 2017, Paris, France http://www.exobiologie.fr/EJC2017/ 

  • Exobiologie Jeunes Chercheurs, second edition 2015, Paris, France

  • AbGradE conference 2014, Edinburgh, Scotland

  • Exobiologie Jeunes Chercheurs, first edition 2013, Paris, France

Summer School

• • NASA Nordic-Hawai'i Summer School on Astrobiology "Water, ice and the origin of Life in the Universe", Iceland, 2012 (grant)

  • RED'11, RED'12, Rencontres Exobilogique pour Doctorant, France, 2011-2012

Vulgarisation/Outreach events

• • Conference at the Centre GALEA in Corsica, 2024

  • Conference at the festival d'Astronomie de Fleurance, 2023, 

  • Exobiologie Entry in Encyclopedia Universalis, https://www.universalis.fr/encyclopedie/exobiologie/ 

  • Festival d'Astronomie de Fleurance, 10 august 2023, "A la recherche de l'origine interstellaire de la vie", https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwDgJqDq_s8

  • Lyon Science, Conference about the origin of organic matter for life, http://www.lyon-science.fr/1ere-intervenante-vassilissa-vinogradoff/, 2022

  • Educational videos about Exobiology :  https://astrobioeducation.org/fr/ 

  • Course at Ecole d'été CLEA, "L'Exobiologie et le temps rembobiné à la recherche des origines de la vie", 2021

  • Conference at Festival d'astronomie de Tautavel, France, "Exobiologie, une vie ailleurs ?", 2020

  • Interview for La Recherche special issue on "Le vide: Chimie complexe en milieu raréfié", https://www.larecherche.fr/dossier/chimie-complexe-en-milieu-raréfié , 2020

  • Interview for Numerama (French newspaper) : « Le carbone de Tchouri nous en apprend plus sur l’apparition de la vie sur Terre », 2020

  • Interview for Le Temps (Swiss newspaper) : « La planète Cérès, un caillou carbone », 2019

  • Interviewe for L'actualité (canadian newspaper) " : "Sommes nous seuls dans l'univers" https://lactualite.com/sante-et-science/sommes-nous-seuls-dans-lunivers/, 2018

  • Question of science with Marie-Pier Elie, Radio-canada : « Est-ce que différentes formes de vie sont apparues sur la Terre en même temps ? », https://ici.radio-canada.ca/premiere/emissions/les-annees-lumiere/segments/chronique/74732/question-science-apparition-vie-differentes-formes, 2018

  • Conference at Observatoire Astronomie de la Lèbe, « Exobiologie, une vie ailleurs ? », 2017

  • Mairie de XIIIeme Paris, Des savoirs et des Hommes, conférence: "Exobiologie et l'origine de la vie", 2017

  • Diner débat: Cercle des amateurs d'astronomie: "L'exobiologie et recherche de l'origine de la vie", 2015

  • Bar des Sciences, Les mardis de l'espace CNES, with Michel Viso, "Les briques de la vie viennent elles de l'espace ?", Paris, 2013

  • Interview for Ciel et Espace (french newspaper) "Comment la vie est venue du Cosmos", p 42-45, july 2013

  • Observatoire Astronomie de la Lèbe, Nuits des étoiles, conference "L'origine interstellaire de la vie", 2011

Rewards

• • Invited to the First international Workshop on Education in Astrobiology IWEA, Sweden, 2013

  • CNES poster price 2012

  • SCF (Société Chimique de France), Poster price 2012

Hobbies

• • Member of an astronomy club (animator), Member of a speleology club, Painting and drawing, graduate in Cello, Travel