Prarthana Desai

Prats is completing a PhD with research focus on search for life in outer space; specifically, by developing and field testing a novel water activity detector. This instrument can be used in the subsurface of Mars, icy moons  (For example – Europa, Enceladus, etc.) and other planets to determine the conditions of habitability.

She has conducted experimental research for this innovative new water-detecting device at extreme locations including Boulby Mine (pictured), North Yorkshire at depths of more than 1.5 km below ground, and in the Basque Lakes in Canada. During the latter trip – which was funded by an RSE Lessels Scholarship – Prats presented her work at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), which is home to Nasa’s mission control centre for the current Perseverance exploration of Mars, and Nasa’s Ames Research Centre in California’s Silicon Valley.

She has also recently won prestigious Freeman Scholarship award from the Worshipful Company of Scientific Instrument Makers. Prats’ PhD is jointly supervised by Prof. Ian Underwood (IMNS) and Prof. Charles Cockell in the School of Physics & Astronomy. Her work is being carried out in collaboration with the UK Centre for Astrobiology (UKCA), UK Astronomy Technology Centre (UK ATC), Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and NASA.