DR LUKE MCKAY
 
 

if it’s just us, seems like an awful waste of space.

-carl sagan

 

 

 
 

Photo by Dr. Zöe Harrold

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Who is Luke?

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Hello! My name is Luke and I am a scientist on planet Earth who is constantly fascinated by the overwhelming diversity of life. Most of these life forms are invisible to the naked eye but they are ubiquitous and incredibly abundant—in fact, there are more of these organisms living associated with your body than your body’s own human cells. But they don’t stop there. Microbes live in the dirt under our feet, the ocean, hot springs, Antarctic ice, deep sea hydrothermal vents, insect guts, and even deep mud layers beneath the ocean. They are crucial to our understanding of global chemistry like the oxygenation of our atmosphere and the regulation of many greenhouse gases. They have the power to elucidate the evolutionary history of life on Earth and some of them may even provide clues as to where else life may exist in our solar system and beyond! Not to mention, there is likely a wealth of untapped medical and industrial applications that these microbes have to offer. My work is dedicated to understanding these incredible tiny creatures and, in particular, how they might help us tackle developing environmental catastrophes like climate change.

I am the Systems Biology Manager at LanzaTech and before that I was an Assistant Research Professor at Montana State University. I live in Montana with my wife, our kiddo, our cat (Orbit), and our five chickens.

 

“MSU team discovers organism in Yellowstone hot spring potentially linked to earliest life on Earth” -MSU news (link to story)

Drs. Luke McKay and Bill Inskeep process samples from Washburn Hot Springs.

Drs. Luke McKay and Bill Inskeep process samples from Washburn Hot Springs.

“Methane and sulfur metabolisms collide in the Korarchaeota” -Nature microbiology community blog (LINK to post)

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how can we look for alien life by studying the earth? watch this episode to find out…

 

Watch Luke’s TEDxBozeman Talk…

Dr. Luke McKay breaks down life on Earth and the probability of extraterrestrial life. Who knew mac n' cheese and extremophiles could teach us so much about the electrical circuit that makes life possible? Dr. McKay is a microbial ecologist and astrobiologist at Montana State University who investigates extremophiles, or, life that thrives in harsh environments.

 

the most unknown

Luke is one of nine scientists featured in VICE Motherboard's first full-length documentary, The Most Unknown. It covers topics such as life on other planets, consciousness, time (what is it?!), and dark matter. Watch the trailer below!