Brendan Burns

Associate Professor Brendan Burns is a leading microbial ecologist and astrobiologist at the University of New South Wales (UNSW), where he has served since 2005. Currently Associate Professor at the School of Biotech & Biomolecular Science, he specializes in unraveling the evolutionary and ecological significance of early Earth microbial ecosystems, particularly microbial mats and stromatolites in Shark Bay, Western Australia. His interdisciplinary research bridges prokaryotic and eukaryotic biology, focusing on Asgard archaea as evolutionary "missing links" and microbial dark matter dynamics.

• Key affiliations: UNSW School of Biotech & Biomolecular Science
• Collaborations: Australian Centre of Astrobiology, NASA, Department of Parks and Wildlife, Malgana Rangers

His research combines biogeochemical fieldwork, functional genomics, and next-generation sequencing to study extremophile systems. This work has critical implications for understanding Earth's origins of life and guiding extraterrestrial biosignature detection. His team addresses United Nations SDGs 13 (Climate Action), 14 (Life Below Water), and 15 (Life on Land) through climate stressor analysis on microbial communities.

Recent publications highlight advances in metagenomic analysis of blue holes, viral communities in stromatolites, and bio-optical properties of microbial mats. His 2022 work on eukaryogenesis challenges traditional domain boundaries through Asgard archaea studies.

Scientific Recognition:

• Eureka Prize for Interdisciplinary Research (2005)
• Tall Poppy Award (2005)
• Japan Society for the Promotion of Science Fellowship (2004)
• Kanagawa Museum Award (2003)
• Young Scientist Awards (1997-2000)

He actively promotes Indigenous knowledge integration through partnerships with Traditional Owners in Shark Bay and serves as Honours Coordinator for BABS Research Program. The Burns Lab website provides further details about their cutting-edge research on planetary microbial systems.