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So, as an astrobiologist, I'm really interested

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in understanding how life can exist
on extreme environments here on Earth.

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Mars 2020, or Perseverance,
is giving us an unique opportunity to

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actually look for signs of life
on Mars.

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Mars missions have explored

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and indicated that the martian surface was quite wet

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than the cold and dry planet as it is
today.

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These conditions lasted long enough to support life.

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So, as a microbiologist, I'm really
interested in understanding

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how life would have evolved and
sustained on Martian conditions.

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So, my research involves
actually simulating conditions in the

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lab, or going to the extreme environments on Earth

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and finding out what kind of life can survive

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and how it can survive in these extreme
conditions?

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The most exciting part about the Mars
Perseverance rover

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is it will look for signs of ancient
life forms, or the microbial life forms, on Mars.

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Since we are exploring these pristine samples
on Mars, it's very important for us to

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keep the rover itself
clean, so that we don't contaminate the

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Martian surface,
and that's exactly what

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planetary protection researchers
at nasa's jet propulsion laboratory are doing.

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I'm honored and privileged
to be part of that group. So, my team is

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actually looking for
DNA contents on the spacecraft.

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We call it as: genetic inventory.