Jody W. Deming (born July 2, 1952) is an American

oceanographer Oceanography (), also known as oceanology, sea science, ocean science, and marine science, is the scientific study of the ocean, including its physics, chemistry, biology, and geology. It is an Earth science, which covers a wide range of top ...

. She is a professor of

Oceanography Oceanography (), also known as oceanology, sea science, ocean science, and marine science, is the scientific study of the ocean, including its physics, chemistry, biology, and geology. It is an Earth science, which covers a wide range of to ...

and a marine microbiologist at the University of Washington (UW). Her research interests include studies of cold adapted microbes in their relation to

astrobiology Astrobiology (also xenology or exobiology) is a scientific field within the List of life sciences, life and environmental sciences that studies the abiogenesis, origins, Protocell, early evolution, distribution, and future of life in the univ ...

biotechnology Biotechnology is a multidisciplinary field that involves the integration of natural sciences and Engineering Science, engineering sciences in order to achieve the application of organisms and parts thereof for products and services. Specialists ...

, and

bioremediation Bioremediation broadly refers to any process wherein a biological system (typically bacteria, microalgae, fungi in mycoremediation, and plants in phytoremediation), living or dead, is employed for removing environmental pollutants from air, wate ...

. She is known for her extensive field work, being involved in over 50 nautical research expeditions. Deming is also the cofounder of the UW Astrobiology Extremophile Laboratory.

Education

Deming graduated cum laude from

Smith College Smith College is a Private university, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts Women's colleges in the United States, women's college in Northampton, Massachusetts, United States. It was chartered in 1871 by Sophia Smit ...

in Massachusetts in 1974 with a Bachelors in Biological Sciences specializing in

Botany Botany, also called plant science, is the branch of natural science and biology studying plants, especially Plant anatomy, their anatomy, Plant taxonomy, taxonomy, and Plant ecology, ecology. A botanist or plant scientist is a scientist who s ...

. She was also awarded a Smith College Piano Scholarship during her undergraduate career. In 1981, Deming received her PhD in

Microbiology Microbiology () is the branches of science, scientific study of microorganisms, those being of unicellular organism, unicellular (single-celled), multicellular organism, multicellular (consisting of complex cells), or non-cellular life, acellula ...

at the

University of Maryland The University of Maryland, College Park (University of Maryland, UMD, or simply Maryland) is a public land-grant research university in College Park, Maryland, United States. Founded in 1856, UMD is the flagship institution of the Univ ...

with

Rita Colwell Rita Rossi Colwell (born November 23, 1934) is an American environmental microbiologist and scientific administrator. Colwell holds degrees in bacteriology, genetics, and oceanography and studies infectious diseases. Colwell is the founder and C ...

as her thesis advisor.

Career

In 1970's, Deming developed microbial detection systems for unusual habitats for NASA. Deming is a professor and researcher at University of Washington. Deming is the Editor-in-chief of Elementa's Ocean Science.

Research

Deming's research primarily involves the study of cold-adapted microbes gathered from Arctic sea ice samples. The bacterium '' Colwellia demingiae'' (type strain ACAM 459) is named after her. Cold-adapted microbial life has been a research topic of astrobiologists searching for life on

Europa Europa may refer to: Places * Europa (Roman province), a province within the Diocese of Thrace * Europa (Seville Metro), Seville, Spain; a station on the Seville Metro * Europa City, Paris, France; a planned development * Europa Cliffs, Alexan ...

and

Mars Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun. It is also known as the "Red Planet", because of its orange-red appearance. Mars is a desert-like rocky planet with a tenuous carbon dioxide () atmosphere. At the average surface level the atmosph ...

, due to similar cold climates. As such, Deming's research has been used as a reference for institutions such as

NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the federal government of the United States, US federal government responsible for the United States ...

for what life may be like on Europa and Mars.

Presentations

*2008 Earth's Low Temperature Life: An Analog for Mars and Europa? (March 31, 2008). *2016 Life in Ice: Informing the Search on Other Ocean World (May 17, 2016).

Awards

*1993 US Coast Guard Arctic Service Medal *2003 U.S. National Academy of Sciences *2018 National Academies Keck Futures Initiative (NAKFI) Challenge Award *2023 Fellow of the

American Geophysical Union The American Geophysical Union (AGU) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization of Earth, Atmospheric science, atmospheric, Oceanography, ocean, Hydrology, hydrologic, Astronomy, space, and Planetary science, planetary scientists and enthusiasts that ...

References

External links

Jody Deming profile at University of Washington, School of Oceanography

Why is Elementa important for Ocean Scientists? Jody Deming explains. Jan 31, 2013.
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Suddenly There's A Meadow In the Ocean With 'Flowers' Everywhere (December 18, 2012 NPR)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Deming, Jody 1952 births Living people American oceanographers University of Washington faculty Smith College alumni University of Maryland, College Park alumni Fellows of the American Geophysical Union