Abbie Robinson

Research Profile

I am a PhD student at the University of Leicester, focusing on the survival and detection of biosignatures. I am currently working on modelling the radiation environments of Mars, Ceres, Europa, and Enceladus using Geant4 in order to understand biosignature preservation potentials and requirements for successful sample acquisition.

I have also worked on optimising the use of epi-illuminated microscopy and epi-fluorescence microscopy for contextual imaging, allowing for a correlative spectroscopic approach for studying analogue material of key astrobiological targets. This work was completed in preparation for the ExoMars Rosalind Franklin rover.

My background is in chemistry, achieving a Masters in Chemistry from the University of York, with a focus on atmospherics and the environment. My master's research project focused on the application of U.V.-vis spectroscopy to study the photolysis parameters of atmospherically relevant carbonyl species, and the implications of these degradation pathways on air quality.