Happy holidays! 💚

Packard Fellow and Johns Hopkins University scientist Dr. Jasmina Wiemann is working to understand how living organisms respond to planetary change by developing innovative ways to read molecular “memories” preserved in ancient organisms—helping fill some of the blank pages in the history of life.

Wrapping up 2025 with our first lab datathon - go team! 🤩 With PJ 🔬, Liam🐚, Megan🐣, & Mariana🐊!

Excited to announce our session at AbSciCon 2026! We welcome abstracts covering topics across #Paleontology, #Geobiology, #Chemistry, #genomics, #evolution, #astrobiology, #biosignatures, #molecularpaleobiology. It's a fun and very interdisciplinary conference! Join us in Madison, WI, in 2026!

I'm delighted to share the latest publication involving my lab - out now in PNAS: Geochemists & Paleontologists across the globe joined forces to confirm the preservation of molecular #biosignatures in #fossil organic matter - and explore signals associated with photosynthesis.

Currently looking for a postdoctoral position and interested in this kind of research? 👀 Dr Hagen currently has an open position in his new Computational Integrative Biodiversity group at Goethe University Frankfurt, for more details see: www.uni-frankfurt.de/48794987/Zen...

Join my brilliant grad student Megan and me [representing @Hopkins_PaLEO] in the 'Ancient Biomolecules' symposium at SVP 2025 in Birmingham! Prospective grad students and postdocs looking for opportunities in Molecular Geo-, Astro-, Paleobiology, catch me after my talk!

If you are planning to attend GSA Connects 2025 by @geosociety.bsky.social next week, stop by the 'New Advances in Geobiology' session! I will be talking about the evolution of skeletons as revealed by fossil biomolecules and biosignatures 🔬🧪🧬! #paleontology #fossils #astrobiology

Prof. Jasmina Wiemann has been selected for a prestigious Packard fellowship. This the first recognition of a paleobiologist by the Foundation! That is 8 Packard Fellows in 6 years for Johns Hopkins University. Prof. Wiemann's website is the stuff of movies: www.jasminawiemann.com

I’m thrilled to be a part of the 2025 class of #PackardFellows and I look forward to all the exciting & actionable discoveries at the interface of evolutionary biology, ecology, the geosciences, and chemistry that this award enables! @jhuartssciences.bsky.social www.packard.org/2025fellows

We have a new paper out - spearheaded by the brilliant Madison Tripp and Kliti Grice at Curtin in Western Australia: Biomarkers preserve exceptionally well in diagenetic carbonates rather than phosphates. #paleontology #astrobiology #geochemistry Link: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

I am very much looking forward to join my brilliant colleagues of the Ancient Biomolecular Lab @amnh next week to talk about frontiers in ancient biomolecular research! We will also discuss the current momentum in the field and the remaining big, open questions!

SVP 2025 abstract decisions are out: I am very excited to share that I will talk about how machine-learning applied to modern and #fossil biomolecules transforms our understanding of the early evolution of the vertebrate (+ outgroup) biomineralization toolkit! [1/2]

Planning to attend SVP 2025? Don't miss Megan's talk on her new approach to integrating molecular #fossils preserved in the rock record and in genomes! As a 1st-year JHU PhD student in EPS, she just won the Steven Cohen Award for her creative spin on Paleobiology! @jhuartssciences.bsky.social

Imagine you could not only chemically characterize individual molecules, but also simultaneously visualize them - in their biological framework or at mineral surfaces ... my AFM UV|Vis|NIR-Raman spectroscopy lab is officially operational, and the first data exceeded expectations! #biosignatures

I'd be delighted to sponsor a NASA Postdoc Fellowship focused on #biosignatures, #astrobiology, or the Origin of Life here at Hopkins! 🚀

Raman main system installation: All bits and pieces are assembled! Time for our first samples - until we add the Atomic Force Microscopy-module for Plasmonic and co-localized AFM-Raman next week!

One of the biggest stories in science is quietly playing out in the world of abstract mathematics go.nature.com/4lBOSqR

Always delighted to talk about the importance of the #fossil record! Learn more about research on #biosignatures, #evolution, #dinosaurs, and #astrobiology at JHU: www.instagram.com/reel/DMQNtCJ...

What a week: ✅ Wrap up 2 fun papers ✅ Receive 3-D Printers ✅ Hire awesome postdocs ✅ Win new funding for the lab ✅ Rig 8 ft x 5 ft optical table Next: ⬜ Install AFM UV/Vis/NIR Raman [11 days to go!]

I am endlessly excited to welcome Mariana and Pjotr to Hopkins! Our entire team is thrilled to have you on board - let's push the limits of the fossil record! 🤩 #evolution #paleontology #fossils #biosignatures #astrobiology

I picked up the current Re-issue of 'Reimagining #Dinosaurs' in @ National Geographic - just in time for #JurassicWorldRebirth! Our research is still as exciting as it was 4 years ago, but my lab is now proudly based @jhuartssciences.bsky.social [with co-featured Fabbri, Balanoff, & Bever labs].

I am star-struck to discuss recent progress on biomolecule and #biosignature preservation alongside so many legendary scientists in this C&EN feature: From #dinosaurs to the tree of life! So proud of the contributions from my lab @jhuartssciences.bsky.social! Link: pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10....

Reposting this brilliant summary of the current state of knowledge on protein preservation in deep time by @matthewcollins.bsky.social - holistic assessments of decay and stabilization kinetics are the way to go! #FossilFriday #dinosaurs #biosignatures

Congratulations to 1⃣-year PhD student Liam Olden for finishing a fantastic year with a funded field work grant [🏔️] and admission to the International Geobiology Course [🦠]! Enjoy your summer museum trips and field adventures!😊 #geobiology #paleontology #biosignatures

Congratulations to 1⃣-year PhD student Megan Miller for finishing a fantastic year with 2 impressive discoveries [🐭🐣], a funded museum grant [🦴] and a very fancy and well-deserved #paleontology award [🦕]! Enjoy your unix summer adventure 💻☀️ #genomics #biosignatures

A belated thanks to the University of Maryland Geology Department and @arctomet for inviting me to talk about #biosignatures and #fossils! I really enjoyed my visit and I look forward to working with you all in the future! 🦕🦖🐣

Living the dream ... 🤩 #spectroscopy #biosignatures #paleontology #astrobiology

I am absolutely ecstatic to announce our Symposium (No. 28) 'Bridging the Molecular Gap' at the 7th International Paleontological Congress, hosted by our amazing colleagues in Cape Town, South Africa! Please check out the program and join us in December 2026! Program link: ipc7.site/programme.html

If you're still looking for inspiration on how to dye your #Easter Eggs, I would love to draw your attention to our updated chart of #dinosaur egg colors! 🦕🦖🐣🥚🟠🔵

Inspiration for my fall term classes!

Excited to share my latest thoughts in @nature.com: From the discovery of fossilized #dinosaur cells to the translational application of time-integrated #biosignatures! 🦕🧬🚀 Explore the fate of biomolecules through time - here: rdcu.be/edUZR #astrobiology #paleontology @JohnsHopkins

I'm delighted to see so many women on the top 40 paleontology science communication list - and I'm very humbled to be part of it (as a full time scientist)! 😊 Always happy to share fascinating research from #molecularpaleobiology ... Link: influencers.feedspot.com/paleontology...

Fur colors reconstructed from fossil melanosomes preserved in ancestors of modern mammals support a nocturnal lifestyle! Colors diversified only after the extinction of the #dinosaurs. Here are my thoughts on this exciting new study by Li et al. in @sciencemagazine! science.org/content/arti....

Niles Eldrege's Obituary of Elisabeth Vrba [one of the greatest macroevolutionaries, originally from Hamburg in Germany] —out in Nature. rdcu.be/ediyO

Very excited to share some news in the next few days! 🦕 #MolecularPaleobiology

Are you currently setting up your spectroscopy/optics/quantum lab? Make sure to check out the MKS New Lab Savings Program for junior PIs! Super happy about the discount for my optical table 🤩

Congrats to my 1st-year grad students [Megan & Liam] for presenting their first thesis results at the MA Geobiology Symposium! 🤩

Huge thanks to the awesome geo- and #palebiology team at Johns Hopkins Universityfor organizing the Mid-Atlantic Geobiology symposium! 🦕 It's been wonderful to connect & learn more about all the exciting research in our region! #Geobiology #astrobiology #paleontology #fossils

Apply now for SVP’s Futures Award! 🦕 This award ($5,000 USD) is intended to support a summer research experience for current undergraduate students (incl. community colleges) who are Black, Indigenous, and/or members of other racial or ethnic minority groups! Link: vertpaleo.org/svp-futures-...

Happy International Day of Women and Girls in Science - from me and my lab! 🤩 The discipline of Molecular Paleobiology has been pioneered by women scientists - and I am so proud to be part of it and train the next generation of brilliant minds! 💚

One of the best views of the Hopkins Medical Campus! 🤩

Very excited to talk about molecular biosignatures and their various direct and translational applications - today at @vtgeosciences.bsky.social!

Looks like the following programs in #NSF BIO have been 'archived': BRC-BIO - new.nsf.gov/funding/oppo... BIO-LEAPS - new.nsf.gov/funding/oppo... PRFB - new.nsf.gov/funding/oppo...

The spectroscopy community has lost one of their most brilliant and kindest software developers: Dr. Friedrich Menges, the mind behind SpectraGryph. I will remember him as a relentless supporter and facilitator of creative work in spectroscopy! 🌈 www.electrooptics.com/article/spec...

Just got the email from @pciarchaeology.bsky.social that I am officially on the Managing Board 👍 In case you want to know more about PCIArchaeology and #DiamondOpenAccess this video by @alainqueffelec.bsky.social serves as a good introduction

Very excited to attend my first-ever SICB - in Atlanta! 🤩 If you're curious about research in our group, stop by tomorrow at 11.30 am! #molecularpaleobiology #evolution #astrobiology #biosignatures

Our two Hopkins PaLEO groups finished a fantastic first year 2024 in Gubbio (Italy) at the legendary K-Pg boundary layer! Can't wait for 2025 - and our new spectroscopy lab, arrival of our rockstar postdocs, exciting research from our first grad students, our first field season, etc.! 🤩

Happy Holidays/Winterbreak! ☃️