Alta E. G. Howells
Postdoctoral Researcher, ORAU NPP Fellow
Branch: Exobiology Branch (STX)
Email: alta.howells@nasa.gov
Professional Biography
Postdoctoral Researcher
Lab of Tori Hoehler, NASA Ames Research Center January 2021 – Present
My current work focuses on aiding life detection efforts by developing models that can estimate biological distribution, activity, and biomass production in water-rock hosted ecosystems on Earth and other ocean worlds. To better approximate estimations of biological activity and biomass production elsewhere, I am currently characterizing growth parameters of Earth methanogens under conditions that reflect other ocean worlds, such as Europa and Enceladus.
Graduate Research Assistant
Lab of Everett Shock, School of Life Sciences – Microbiology, ASU August 2012 – Present Developed energetic framework for assessing drivers of microbiome composition and diversity in geologically hosted ecosystems. Through geochemical, energetic and microbiome analyses, characterized mechanisms for experimentally observed rates of biological methane oxidation in hot spring ecosystems.
Laboratory Manager
Lab of John Peters, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, MSU May 2011 – August 2012
Ordered supplies, coordinated large purchase requests, maintained laboratory instruments and equipment, organized laboratory events, ensured health and safety compliance, managed laboratory technicians and mentored undergraduate researchers.
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Lab of John Peters, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, MSU Fall 2010 – May 2011 Assisted in carrying out an ecological study of the functional gene, FeFe-hydrogenase, with a focus on evaluating correlations between protein structure and geochemical gradients. Developed an expression system for a eukaryotic FeFe-hydrogenase homolog, Nar1, in E. coli.
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Lab of David Dooley, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, MSU Summer 2008 – Summer 2010 Assisted in the development of an assay for the quantification of free-radical formation in the copper protein, galactose oxidase. Evaluated copper binding to galactose oxidase through quantification of chromophore formation via UV-Vis spectroscopy.
Education
- B.S. Chemistry with Biochemistry Option, Montana State University – Bozeman, MT
- PhD Microbiology, Arizona State University – Tempe, AZ
Awards & Honors
NASA Postdoctoral Program Fellow Spring 2021 – Present
ASU School of Life Sciences completion scholarship Spring 2019
NASA travel grant Fall 2018
International Society of Extremophiles best poster award Fall 2018
Census of Deep Life sequencing survey funded by Deep Carbon Observatory (Sloan Foundation) Fall 2018
Graduate Excellence Award, ASU College of Liberal Arts and Sciences 2017-2018
National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program Fall 2014-Summer 2017
NSF GRFP proposal honorable mention Spring 2013
ASU-SOLS Recruitment Fellowship award Fall 2012
Hughes Scholars Research and Outreach Fellowship Funded by Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI)
Fall 2010-Spring 2011
Complex Biological Systems Summer Research Program award Summer 2010
Funded by HHMI Hughes Undergraduate Biology
Montana Governor’s Merit Scholarship award Fall 2008-Spring 2011
Publications
Howells, A. E. G., De Martini, F., Gile, G. H., & Shock, E. L. An examination of protist diversity in serpentinization-hosted ecosystems of the Samail Ophiolite of Oman. Frontiers in Microbiology 2023 14.
Weeks, K., Trembath-Reichert, E., Boyer, G., Fecteau, K., Howells, A., De Martini, F., … & Shock, E. L. Characterization of microbiomic and geochemical compositions across the photosynthetic fringe. Frontiers in Microbiology 2023 14, 1354.
Howells, A. E. G., Leong, J. A., Ely, T., Santana, M., Robinson, K., Esquivel‐Elizondo, S., … & Shock, E. L. Energetically informed niche models of hydrogenotrophs detected in sediments of serpentinized fluids of the Samail Ophiolite of Oman. Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences, 2022 127 (3), e2021JG006317.
Leong, J. A., Howells, A. E. G.,Robinson, K. J., Cox, A., Debes, R. V., Fecteau, K., … & Shock, E. L. Theoretical predictions versus environmental observations on serpentinization fluids: Lessons from the Samail ophiolite in Oman. Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth 2021 126 (4), e2020JB020756.
Hamilton, T. L., Koonce, E., Howells, A., Havig, J., Jewell, T., de la Torre, J. R., Peters, J. W., Boyd, E. S. Competition for ammonia influences the structure of chemotrophic communities in geothermal springs. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 2014 80 (2), 653-661
Boyd, E. S., Hamilton, T. L., Swanson, K. D., Howells, A. E., Baxter, B. K., Meuser, J. E., Posewitz, M. C., and Peters, J. W. [FeFe] Hydrogenase Abundance and Diversity along a Vertical Redox Gradient in Great Salt Lake, USA. International Journal of Molecular Sciences 2014 15, 21947-21966.
Rokhsana, D., Howells, A., Szilagyi, R., Dooley, D., The role of the Tyr-Cys crosslink to the active site properties of galactose oxidase. Inorganic Chemistry 2012 51 (6), 3513-3524.
Websites
ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Alta-Howells-2