Katrina Edwards

Katrina Jane Edwards
Born March 15, 1968
Died October 26, 2014
Other names Mistress of the Dark World
Fields Geomicrobiology

Katrina Jane Edwards (15 March 1968 - 26 October 2014) was a pioneering geomicrobiologist known for her studies of organisms living below the ocean floor, specifically exploring the interactions between the microbes and their geological surroundings, and how global processes were influenced by these interactions.[1] She spearheaded the Center for Dark Energy Biosphere Investigation (C-DEBI) project at the University of Southern California, which is ongoing. Edwards also helped organize the deep biosphere research community by heading the Fe-Oxidizing Microbial Observatory Project on Loihi Seamount, and serving on several program steering committees involving ocean drilling.[1] Edwards taught at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute (WHOI) and later became a professor at the University of Southern California.[1][2]

Life and education

Katrina Edwards was born the third of five children in March 15, 1968 in Columbus, Ohio, to Sandra and Timothy Edwards.[1] At Columbus Alternative High School Katrina completed her secondary education, and pursued an early career at the Delaware Municipal Airport in general airport operations and later as a chief flight instructor.[1][2] While continuing her work at the airport, Edwards attended Ohio State University to pursue an undergraduate degree in geology.[3] In 1994, she received her bachelor’s degree with honors.[1]

In 1996 Edwards left her work at the airport to attend the University of Wisconsin, Madison where she studied geochemistry, mineralogy, microbiology, oceanography, molecular biology and ecology.[2][4] There she earned a master’s in geology with emphasis on isotope geochemistry and in 1999 she earned the first Ph.D. in geomicrobiology awarded by the university.[1][3] It was also at UW-Madison she met her future husband.[3] In 1999 Edwards moved to Massachusetts to join Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute.[3] There she established a geomicrobiology lab, which focused on the microbial transformation and degradation of solid Earth materials, specifically rocks, minerals, and organic matter.[3]

Katrina Edwards died on October 26, 2014 at the age of 46. Edwards is survived by her parents, her siblings, and her three children.[2]

Work and discoveries

While at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Edwards was an associate scientist in geochemistry and marine chemistry.[2] In 2006, Edwards began working at the University of Southern California (USC).[1] There she was a professor in the environmental studies, earth sciences, and biological sciences departments and became a mentor for many students and postdoctoral researchers.[2] In 2009, Edwards helped established the Center for Dark Energy Biosphere Investigations (C-DEBI) at USC.[1] Creation of the technology center was done in partnership with USC, national laboratories, and several major research universities and was supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) with a $29 million grant.[1]

Edwards, as founding director and principle investigator of C-DEBI, worked with other scientist and led multiple expeditions in the North Atlantic Ocean, including international projects to explore the ocean’s crust through deep drilling.[1][2] Edwards also headed the Fe-Oxidizing Microbial Observatory Project on Loihi Seamount, which was supported by the NSF.[2] The goal of these expeditions was to gather information about the role of intraterrestrials (organisms living under the sea floor or inside the earth) and their role in what she called “the tooth decay of the solid Earth,” otherwise known as the degradation and transformation of Earth solid minerals and organic matter.[1][3]

Katrina Edwards' contributions to geology and microbiology are evidenced in her authoring over 100 published papers, as well as contributing to and editing several microbiology textbooks, serving as the associate editor of American Mineralogist, and serving on the editorial boards of Environmental Microbiology, Geobiology and Geomicrobiology journals.[1] Published in 2000 in the journal Science, Edwards paper “An Archaeal Iron-oxidizing Extreme Acidophile Important in Acid Mine Drainage” featured as the cover story.[1] Edwards also published a blog on Scientific American’s website, blogging about the experiences of her team so members of the public could follow the events as they occurred during a research expedition in the Mid-Atlantic Ocean.[1]

Iron Transformation Pathways of Interterrestrials

Edwards studied interterrestrial transformation pathways (metabolic processes) of iron (Fe) in sulfide-mineral deposits and the effects of their metabolic reactions on their surroundings.[5] Iron is an important element in the biochemistry of mid-ocean ridge hydrothermal systems.[5] This is in part to its abundance and its dynamic solubility and oxidation-reduction properties. Most fluids discharged from hydrothermal vents contain and abundance of iron.[5] Iron plumed from hydrothermal vents in sulfide mineral deposits precipitate (form a solid) with sulfur (S).[5] The precipitate then becomes part of the physical structure of the sulfide deposit.[5] Iron also has the potential to act as the substrate for microbial metabolism and respiration.[5] This means that Fe can be reactant consumed during a microbial process that reduces Fe to create energy and can be the reactant consumed during a process that oxidizes iron to use energy.[5]

One study Edwards took part in was a study was conducted in sulfide mineral deposits of inactive hydrothermal vents in the Northern East Pacific Rise (EPR 9–10°N).[5] The purpose of the study was to describe the different chemical reactions microbes use to reduce and oxidize iron and to examine the products produced from these reactions for biological activity markers.[5] Results from the study showed four different pathways of Fe transformation and consistency between the range of pathways with the variable redox (oxidation and reduction reactions) conditions of microbial environments.[5] However, the study could not identify any unique biological activity markers to correspond with the different pathways.[5]

Awards and Recognition

Affiliated Organizations

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 Cavalcanti, Emily. "In Memoriam: Katrina J. Edwards, 46 > News > USC Dornsife". dornsife.usc.edu. USC Dornsife. Retrieved 12 September 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Scalice, Daniella (October 29, 2014). "In Memoriam: Katrina Edwards". astrobiology.nasa.gov. Astrobiology at NASA. Retrieved October 20, 2016.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Katrina Edwards". Oceanus Magazine. Retrieved 2016-10-21.
  4. ↑ Stewart, Jill (2010-05-20). "Katrina Edwards: Mistress of the Dark World". L.A. Weekly. Retrieved 2016-10-21.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Toner, Brandy M.; Rouxel, Olivier J.; Santelli, Cara M.; Bach, Wolfgang; Edwards, Katrina J. (2016-01-01). "Iron Transformation Pathways and Redox Micro-Environments in Seafloor Sulfide-Mineral Deposits: Spatially Resolved Fe XAS and δ57/54Fe Observations". Extreme Microbiology: 648. doi:10.3389/fmicb.2016.00648. PMC 4862312Freely accessible. PMID 27242685.
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