Emmanuelle J. Javaux
University of Liege
Institute of Astrophysics and Geophysics
Allee du 6 Aout, 17
Sart-Tilman (Liege) B-4000
Belgium

Emmanuelle Javaux is a researcher in the Institute of Astrophysics and Geophysics at the University of Liege, Belgium, where she receives a B.Sc. in Biology. She received her PhD in Earth Sciences in 1999 at Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. From 2000-2003, she conducted postdoctoral research on early eukaryote evolution in the laboratory of Dr. A. Knoll, Harvard University. She published in Nature (2001) and PNAS (in press) and presented 20 papers at conferences. Her research consists of studying early eukaryote paleobiology, paleoecology and evolutionary patterns in early Earth environments by integrating paleontological, geochemical, geological and phylogenetic data. She is currently developing morphological, ultrastructural and micro-chemical methods to determine the biological affinities of early prokaryotes and protists on the Archean and Proterozoic Earth. Her research interests in Astrobiology include the evolution of early Earth biosphere, as a possible model for life on other planets; the biology of extremophiles living in conditions similar to early Earth environments or to Mars or Europa; and the development of methods to detect past life signatures beyond Earth.