Gabriella Rizzo

I am a PhD student in the Genetics, Cellular & Molecular Biology program at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. I earned my B.S. in Microbiology from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where my undergraduate research focused on microorganisms and ecological systems associated with hydrothermal vents. As an aspiring astrobiologist, I now work in the Weber Lab exploring the potential for microbial life to persist in the Martian subsurface and investigating processes that may have shaped primordial Earth ecosystems. My research interests center on how the metabolic pathways used by subsurface microorganisms can inform broader questions in bioenergy. Because microbial metabolism represents one of the earliest forms of biological energy transformation, studying these systems can help guide the search for viable energy solutions in both terrestrial and extraterrestrial environments. The intersection of life’s origins, energy production, and space exploration ultimately motivates my research.