Expertise:
Molecular Microbiology, Planetary Protection Policy, Protein Chemistry, Enzyme Kinetics, Biophysical Chemistry, Bioanalytical Approaches using Lanthanide Luminescence, Interactions of Radiation and Plasmas with Biological MatterAreas of Research: Spacecraft Microbiology & Biochemistry, Soil Microbiology & Biochemistry, Lipoxygenase Kinetics, Detection of Biometabolites using Lanthanide Complexes, Biophysical Characterization of Cold Plasma Exposures
The Mogul laboratory conducts research in molecular microbiology and enzymology, with a focus on the biochemistry of survival in extreme environments. The lab primarily works with microorganisms and microbial communities found in spacecraft assembly facilities, ancient permafrost and desert soils. The goal is to understand and characterize the enzymes and metabolic features that support survival under extreme conditions, including oligotrophic low-temperature and arid environments. In their work, they use a multi-disciplinary approach including microbiology, proteomics, metabolomics, protein purifications, enzyme assays, chemical kinetics, lanthanide chelation chemistry, and bioinformatics.
Rakesh Mogul also has experience in federal and international space policy analysis development, and implementation with specific regards to Planetary Protection. Planetary protection involves the practice of (a) minimizing the biological contamination of extraterrestrial environments (such as Mars and Europa) that may result from spacecraft exploration and (b) preventing the introduction of biological and chemical agents into Earth’s biosphere as a result of materials and spacecraft that are brought back to Earth.
Recent Grants and Fellowships:
- NASA, Astrobiology-Minority Institute Research Support Fellowship, $25,000, 2016
- NASA, “Spaceward Bound: Mojave, $79,150 California State University, Math and Science Teacher Initiative,” 2010-2015
- Planetary Protection: Policy Development, Implementation Issues, and Societal Concerns, NASA Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Sciences (ROSES), $58,000, 2012
- Planetary Protection: Policy Development, Implementation Issues, and Societal Concerns, NASA Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Sciences (ROSES), $112,000, 2011
- NASA Astrobiology Institute, Minority Institute Research Support Sabbatical Fellowship, $35,500, 2009
- NASA, “NASA LIFT OFF: NASA Learning Inspires Fundamental Transformations by Opening Future Frontiers for High School Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Education,’ NASA K12 Grants Opportunity, Co-Investigator, $1,409,903, 2009
Selected Publications:
- With S.S. Limaye, M.J. Way & J.A. Cordova, “Venus’ Mass Spectra Show Signs of Disequilibria in the Middle Clouds,” Geophysical Research Letters, https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2020GL091327 (online March 23, 2021) [open access]
- With others, “Metabolism and Biodegradation of Spacecraft Cleaning Reagents by Strains of Spacecraft-Associated Acinetobacter,” Astrobiology 18, 2018 (online April 19, 2018) [open access]
- With S. Limaye, D. J. Smith, A. H. Ansari, G. P. Slowik, and P. Vaishampayan, “Venus’ Spectral Signatures and the Potential for Life in the Clouds“ Astrobiology 18 (online March 30, 2018) [open access]
- With others, “Microbial Community and Biochemical Dynamics of Biological Soil Crusts across a Gradient of Surface Coverage in the Central Mojave Desert”, Microbiol. 8, 1974 (2017)
- With N. Muster, F. Dallal, I. Derecho, K.B. McCoy and R.A. Alvarez, “Biochemical Purification, characterization, sequencing, and implications of an alkali-tolerant catalase isolated from the hydrogen peroxide resistant and spacecraft-associated Acinetobacter gyllenbergii 2P01AA”, Astrobiology 15, 291-300, 2015
- “Planetary protection mission implementation and status: Report on the PPP.2 panel at COSPAR 2014,” Space Res. Today 191, 71-73, 2014
- With I. Derecho, I., K.B. McCoy, P. Vaishampayan and K.J. Venkateswaran, “Characterization of hydrogen peroxide resistant Acinetobacter species isolated during the Mars Phoenix spacecraft assembly,” Astrobiology 14, 837-847, 2014
- With others, “Report of the Workshop for Life Detection in Samples from Mars,” Life Sci. Space Res. 2, 1-5 (2014)
- With A. Frick, P. Stabekis, C.A. Conley and P. Ehrenfreund, “Overview of Current Capabilities and Research and Technology Developments for Planetary Protection,” A Space Res. 54, 221-240, 2014
Interviews:
- “The discovery of a possible sign of life in Venus’ clouds sparked controversy.Now, scientists say they have more proof,” CNN, July 29, 2024
- “Dangers From Space,” “The UnXplained: Mysteries of the Universe with William Shatner,” The History Channel, May 31, 2024
- “Venus: The Earth’s Evil Twin,” “The UnXplained: Mysteries of the Universe with William Shatner,” The History Channel, May 24, 2024
- “Life on Venus? The Picture Gets Cloudier,” New York Times, Feb. 8, 2021
- “A NASA Probe May Have Found Signs of Life on Venus 40 Years Ago,” Scientific American, Oct. 1, 2020
- “Did NASA detect a hint of life on Venus in 1978 and not realize it?,” LiveScience, Sept. 30, 2020
- “Discovery of Noxious Gas on Venus Could Be a Sign of Life,” The Verge, Sep. 14, 2020
- “Indian scientists hinted ‘favourable’ conditions for life on Venus 2 years ago,” Times of India, Sept. 14, 2020
- “Aliens Among Us? There may be aliens living in the clouds of Venus – but only microbes, Nasa claims,” The U.S. Sun, Sept. 14, 2020
- “Bakterien fressen Putzmittel,” German Public Radio, August 2018
- “They Came From Earth: The Attack Of The Space Germs,” Forbes, June 26, 2018
- “Bacteria Survive in NASA’s Clean Rooms by Eating Cleaning Products,” The Atlantic, June 5, 2018
- “How microbes survive clean rooms and contaminate spacecraft,” SpaceDaily.com, June 3, 2018
- “Spacecraft Clean Rooms: Clean Up Your Act!” www.LeonardDavid.com, June 1, 2018
- “Those Cryptic Clouds of Venus Could Contain Alien Life,” Forbes, May 22, 2018
- “Venus’ Cloud Alien Life Mystery Explained,” SputnikNews.com, May 5, 2018
- “Researchers Say Venus’ Atmosphere Could Support Extraterrestrial Life,” Time Magazine, April 2, 2018
Education:
B.S., Chemistry, University of Redlands
Ph.D., Organic Chemistry (Biophysical Chemistry Emphasis), University of California, Davis
Post-doctorate, Metalloenzyme Kinetics & Spectroscopy, University of California, Santa Cruz