About the speaker: Dr. DasSarma is a pioneering microbiologist well-known for his contributions to the genomics, molecular biology, and biotechnology of Archaea and the field of Astrobiology. Prior to joining the Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, he was a Professor in the University of Massachusetts Amherst and the University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute. He has published over 125 scientific papers over his career and mentored many students. He founded the UMB GPILS genomics track and is the UMB institutional representative for the system-wide MEES graduate program.