Artificial Biology, Molecular Evolution, Astrobiology

Our research focuses on reconstructing molecular time machines to explore and attempt to rebuild lost histories. We tackle challenging questions to understand life’s fundamental innovations. Our approach enables the reconstruction of biomolecule-scale macroevolutionary trends that span billions of years of Earth history and is a fundamentally new methodology with which to study the origins and early evolution of life.

Latest research article (2020): Evolutionary stalling and a limit on the power of natural selection to improve a cellular module (PNAS)

Research article (2020): Reconstructed ancient nitrogenases suggest Mo-specific ancestry. (Geobiology)

Postdoc Mati Kadzior shares his research with the Finland-based Ferment Radio podcast: Microbial time traveling in the laboratory

Graduate student Cathryn Sephus wins the best poster award by the GSA Geobiology and Geomicrobiology Division. Her poster is titled: "Shedding light on phototrophic pigment evolution: reconstruction of ancestral rhodopsins".

Graduate student Katie McGrath wins the NASA Astrobiology Collaboration Award with her proposal titled: Exploring the evolution of bacterial translation machinery.

John Templeton Foundation Researcher Profile: Q&A: Five Questions with Betül Kaçar

Brooke Carruthers explores the potential of space sciences education for developing critical thinking and inspiring students Read More >>>

Betul Kacar joins the UN Women Generation Equality Campaign Read More >>>

Highlights

KACAR RESEARCH GROUP

RESEARCH

PUBLICATIONS

MEMBERS