Melaine Mormile, Missouri S&T microbiologist. Photo by B.A. Rupert
Her Passion
Bacteria. Specifically those organisms that can live in extreme environments — places that don’t support more complex life forms.
Why she’s cool
She helped prove the theory that life could exist on Mars. Mormile is one of a group of researchers studying organisms found in the salt-water lakes of western Australia. The salts and acidic pH of the water mimics conditions found on Mars. Mormile found that prokaryotes (simple organisms that lack a nucleus) could handle the unusual environment.
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