Weber State professor explores underwater volcanoes as origin of life on Earth at international conference

OGDEN, Utah — A Weber State University microbiology professor’s research into the origins of life earned her an invitation to speak at a prestigious National Academy of Sciences conference in Japan last fall. 

Katrina Twing was one of six Americans who presented at the 2024 Japanese-American-German Kavli Frontiers of Science conference in Kyoto, Japan, last October. Twing was asked to speak on the origins of life — specifically her research into “life molecules” found in deep sea volcano vents.

The invitation came as a surprise for Twing. While she’d spent most of her post-graduate studies concentrated on deep sea research, her recent work at Weber State has focused on projects that are more accessible to students. 

Twing became fascinated with a unique geological site deep in the mid-Atlantic Ocean after she read a paper about it during her undergraduate studies. Discovered in 2000, the Lost City is a field of large hydrothermal vent chimneys, white mineral structures rising as tall as 200 feet from the seabed and venting heated water, minerals and gases from the Earth’s crust into the ocean. Katrina Twing works with students in a microbiology lab at Weber State.

The Lost City is one of the few places on Earth where serpentinization, a geological and geochemical process, occurs. When olivine, a mineral abundant in the Earth’s crust, encounters water at the right pressure and temperature, it transforms into another mineral called serpentine. This process releases hydrogen, methane and other essential molecules to create and sustain life in an extreme environment without sunlight.

Over the years, Twing has participated in multiple research trips to the Lost City and other deep sea vents. Studying the microbes found in extreme environments is important to understanding not only the origin of life on Earth but also how we might be able to find life on other planets, Twing said.

“I think it’s human nature to ask where we come from. But we’re closer to being able to answer it than ever before,” she said. “I don’t know if we’re going to find a conclusive answer… but I think that each little piece of this puzzle that we can kind of click into place can help us understand where we’ve been, maybe understand the world around us now a little bit better and understand the future.” 

While in Japan, Twing connected with two other researchers who spoke on the origin of life, and they began brainstorming new ideas and outlining proposals for research. Meeting international colleagues and listening to their presentations helped spark a new excitement for science, she said.

“I feel more reinvigorated with science than I have in a long time. This is a new phase of my career that I haven’t really been at before,” she said.

Department of Microbiology Chair Michele Culumber said the Frontiers of Science conference was an extraordinary opportunity for Twing and that she believes she’ll continue to be a campus leader in undergraduate research. 

“Dr. Twing’s research in early earth history, deep ocean microbiology and environmental microbiology have led to a number of student projects and publications and has been of great interest to students in our department,” Culumber said. “She has a great enthusiasm for research and she really loves sharing her passion with students.”

Twing hopes to include her WSU microbiology students on future research involving the Lost City. Though expeditions to the site probably aren’t in their near future, there are still plenty of samples and data from the first expeditions that need to be studied.

“This journey started 20 years ago with a class I liked, with just a question that sparked my interest,” she said. “I hope that resonates with my students.”

Author:

Jessica Kokesh, Marketing & Communications 
801-626-7316, jessicakokesh@weber.edu

Contact:

Bryan Magaña, public relations director
801-626-7948, bryanmagana@weber.edu