Data from the Mars Exploration Rovers (MER's) and orbital spectroscopic equipment show geological and chemical evidence consistent with the for the periodic presence of liquid water on the surface of Mars. Outcrops explored by MER's contain igneous rocks and sedimentary strata that are finely laminated to cross-bedded and containt substantial amounts of evaporitic minerals such as gypsum (CaSO 4 -xH 2 O) and jarosite (FeSO 4) in various hydration states. These features are consistent with deposition in a large, shallow body of water undergoing evaporation. Large lakes could have served as habitable environments for halophilic bacteria similar to those found in saline lakes on Earth today. Data sent back by the Viking landers in the late 1970's gave no indication of organic residues in the top 1cm of Martian regolith. Further studies suggest that high influx of UV radiation combining with the 0.03% water vapor in the Martian atmosphere and generate a highly oxidizing environment where organic molecules decompose in a matter of years. Therefore, detection of biologically relevant molecules would requires sampling of materials shielded from UV radiation and oxidation; either burial below the surface or by the presence of UV-absorbing mineral structures.

Given the high abundance of evaporitic minerals on the Martian surface and the high UV absorbance of iron, I designed a set of experiments combining Martian analog brines with selected amino acids and exposing these mixtures to a diurnal cycle in an environmental chamber that mimics the Martian atmospheric pressure, composition, UV cycle and temperature regime. Reaction products from the Mars chamber experiments are characterized using gas chromatography, HPLC-coupled mass spectrometry, and X-ray diffraction to analyze the samples. I specifically monitor amino acid degradation, racemization, localization and polymerization with respect to organic molecules bound to mineral surfaces and trapped with mineral inclusion. Experimental data will be used to model and predict the fate of amino acids on Mars, as well as the potential peptide synthesis on early Earth associated with sulfate minerals. Once we understand the potential for un-racemized amino acids to be preserved on or near the Martian surface, then astrobiology-related sampling sites can be identified and methods for sampling and transporting Mars samples can be developed.

Feel free to write me at adpjohns@indiana.edu should you have any questions about the program, research or life here at Indiana University . I look forward to hearing from those of you interested in the program.

My name is Zack Kaur and I'm a fourth year graduate student in the Biochemistry. I currently study peptide synthesis under the direction of Dr. DiMarchi. Specifically, I work with the insulin-like growth factor one (IGF-1) and insulin. I came to Indiana University from Wabash College , a small liberal arts college in Crawfordsville, IN. What I enjoy so much about Indiana University is the way different research labs help each other and all the resources available to graduate students. If you have trouble with something, there is always someone to help you understand what to do. I also like variety of things there are to do in the beautiful city of Bloomington.

Please feel free to contact me at zkaur@indiana.edu .

My name is Mark Pawlicki and I am currently in my fourth year in the Ph.D. Biochemistry program here at IU. I grew up in Warren, MI, just outside of Detroit. I went to college at a very small private school (less than 800 students) in northern Wisconsin called Northland College. It is a private, environmental liberal arts college. It was not as big of a shock as I thought it would be, moving from such a small school to a Big Ten university. I was able to fall right into the trend of things.

As for my work, I am in Dr. Tolbert's group. We work on glycoengineering of glycoproteins. This kind of work has called for quite a bit of molecular cloning, protein/glycan purification, and mass spectrometry. Currently I am conducting binding studies on immunologically relevant glycoproteins to determine the importance of glycosylation for immune response. The future may entail turning to multidimensional NMR or X-ray crystallography for binding characterization.

My time here at IU thus far has been busy, but terrific. I have come a long way in my understanding of biochemical systems since undergrad, thanks to a good balance of course curriculum and lab research. I feel I have been able to really find my specific calling after spending a year here. I came to IU with the purpose of becoming a biochemist, but I am finding more and more every day why I chose this profession.

Please feel free to contact me at mpawlick@indiana.edu if you have any questions.

Hi, my name is Valery Benton and I am currently in my third year in
the Interdisciplinary Biochemistry program here at Indiana University. I plan on double majoring in Biochemistry and Neuroscience. I grew up in Chicago, so moving to Bloomington was a big change for me as well as my husband and kids. Although it took some time to get use to living in a small town, I could not have ask for a better place to raise a family. There are so many opportunities for families here in Bloomington that sometimes I forget how small it really is.

I earned an undergraduate degree in Molecular Biology from Goshen College. It is a small Mennonite liberal arts college located in Northern Indiana. The biggest difference between attending a small college versus a Big Ten University is how far you have to walk to get anywhere and the great facilities located right on the campus. The staff and faculty of the graduate program are so interested in your progress and development as a grad student that it still seems as if I attend a small college.

Currently I am working in Dr. Heather Bradshaw's Lab located in the Psychology Building. The Bradshaw Lab studies lipid signaling molecules and how they may be involved in reproductive pain. These signaling molecules have been found to either increase or dampen pain that may be associated with the contracting of the uterine muscle. We hope that by understanding the interaction between these molecules and contractions will help to improve the current therapies for patients that suffer from chronic pelvic pain.

My name is Juan Chen, and I am from China. I got my BS in Peking University and then came here to pursue my Ph.D. degree. This is my third year in the Biochemistry Program. I like this program because it is an interdisciplinary program including faculty from different departments and with different research interests. Moreover, it's growing stronger with all the new faculties and the new Simon Hall (for biochemistry department). I am currently a research associate in Dr. Yves Brun's group, working on nature's strongest glue-holdfast produced by the bacterium Caulobacter crescentus. This is a fascinating project and I love the challenge of it.

IU is a beautiful place, and with the first-rate music school here, you can't be disappointed. My email is chen7@indiana.edu.

Hello! My name is Fan Cheng and I am the third-year doctoral student in Biochemistry Program. Prior to coming to IU Bloomington, I received my BS degree in Biology and then served as Research Assistant for the Institute of Advanced Materials in Fudan University in Shanghai. Now, I am working in Tuli Mukhopadhyay's lab, studying the function of alphavirus core-like particles. It is a very interesting project which gives me a lot of oppotunities to work with people from different research groups.

If you have any questions about the Biochemistry Program, the life in Bloomington or anything else, please feel free to contact me at fancheng@indiana.edu.