On Passion, Grit, and Space Biology as a Pathway to Interplanetary Sustainability: An Interview with Sarah Kessans

An interview with Dr. Sarah Kessans, a US-born New Zealand scientist and biochemist, a multi-national champion in rowing and was in the top 50 applicants—out of over 18,000—in the NASA's 2017 Astronaut Candidate Selection.She’s earned degrees in plant and molecular biologies, worked on a plant-based HIV vaccine, and is now working at the cutting edge of synthetic biology solutions to combat climate change, facilitate space settlements, and advance innovations in medicine and agriculture. Most recently, she got  a $500,000 Catalyst grant from MBIE to support her proposal to develop nanosatellites for protein crystallisation over the next three years.In this interview, she talks about her passion for biology and adventure, both of which have yielded incredible experiences.  She talks about her perspectives on how biology can create humanity's sustainable pathway to future space settlements and how her work can lead to a thriving space synthetic biology research hub in the region.For more info on Sarah:LinkedinUniversity of CanterburyHer resource recommendations:NASA.govThe Martian by Andy WeirHostd by: Emeline Paat-Dahlstrom, Co-Founder, SpaceBaseMusic: reCreation by airtone (c) copyright 2019 Licensed under a Creative Commons (3.0)If you like our work, please consider donating to SpaceBase through The Gift Trust or RSF Social Finance (for US charitable donations) and indicate "SpaceBase" gift account.Support the show