Paul Falkowski

Paul Falkowski is a Distinguished Professor and Board of Governors Professor at Rutgers University, holding dual appointments in the Departments of Earth and Planetary Sciences and Marine and Coastal Sciences. He directs the Rutgers Energy Institute and holds the Bennett L. Smith Chair in Business and Natural Resources. His research bridges biogeochemistry, astrobiology, and evolutionary biochemistry, focusing on Earth system evolution, microbial-driven planetary transformations, and the origins of life.

Education: Graduated from the University of British Columbia; postdoctoral training at the University of Rhode Island. Previously a staff scientist at Brookhaven National Laboratory for 23 years before joining Rutgers in 1998. Elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 2007 for contributions to global carbon cycle research.

Research interests include: origins of life mechanisms, photosynthetic electron transfer dynamics, and the co-evolution of Earth's geochemistry with microbial metabolisms. His work spans molecular-level protein studies to planetary-scale geochemical modeling, addressing fundamental questions about life's emergence and Earth's habitability.

Publications reflect interdisciplinary focus on biomineralization, ancient nitrogen cycles, and astrobiological approaches to planetary habitability. Awards include National Academy of Sciences membership and leadership in major initiatives like the Deep Carbon Observatory.

Teaching includes undergraduate and graduate courses on Earth systems history and oceanography. Active in developing novel fluorescence techniques for ocean productivity measurement and designing synthetic biology tools for energy applications.

Labs: Leads research groups in marine biophysics, coral symbiosis, and bio-inspired catalysis. Collaborates internationally on astrobiology and climate change mitigation strategies involving marine plankton systems.