Linda Jahnke
Senior Research Scientist
Email: Linda.L.Jahnke@nasa.gov
Phone: (650)604-3221
Professional Biography
Principal investigator in Exobiology program, research focus on lipid synthesis and function; microbial biomarkers and identification of molecular fossils, 1982 to present. Analysis of various classes of microbial lipids from pure cultures and natural samples. Characterization of polar lipid fatty acids, bond positions, hopanepolyols, ether lipids, sterols etc. Stable carbon isotope compound-specific analysis.
Education
B.A. with major Bacteriology, minor Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, Â 1965
One year graduate study as Research Fellow with Dr. Michael Doudoroff, UC Berkeley, 1966.
Select Publications
Jahnke, L. L., Eder, W., Huber, R., Hope, J. M., Hinrichs, K.-U., Hayes, J. M., Des Marais, D. J., Cady, S. L., and Summons, R. E. 2001. Signature lipids and stable carbon isotope analyses of Octopus Spring hyperthermophilic communities compared with those of Aquificales representatives. Appl. Environ. Microbiology 67:5179-5189.
Beaumont, V. I., Jahnke, L. L. and Des Marais, D. J. 2000. Nitrogen isotopic fractionation in the synthesis of photosynthetic pigments in Rhodobacter capsulatus and Anabaena cylindrica  Organic Geochem. 31:1075-1085
Summons, R. E., Jahnke, L. L., Hope, J. M. and Logan G. A. 1999. Molecular fossils for cyanobacteria recording a geological history of oxygenic photosynthesis. Nature 400:554-557
Jahnke, L. L., Summons, R.E., Hope, J. M., Des Marais, D. J. 1999. Carbon isotopic fractionation in lipids from methanotrophic bacteria II. The effects of physiology and environmental parameters on the biosynthesis and isotopic signatures of biomarkers. Geochim. Cosmochim Acta 63:79-93.
Jahnke, L. L., Summons, R.E., Dowling, L. M., Zahiralis, K. D. 1995. Identification of Methanotorphic Lipid Biomarkers in Cold-Seep Mussel Gills: Chemical and Isotopic Analysis. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 61:576-582.
Jahnke, L. L., Stan-Lotter, H., Kato, K. and Hochstein, L .I. 1992. Presence of methyl sterol and bacteriohopanepolyol in an outer membrane preparation from Methylococcus capsulatus (Bath). J. Gen. Microbiol., 138:1759-1766.
Awards and Other
2001 NASA Exceptional Scientific Achievement Medal