My research interests are focused on understanding how life adapts to extreme environments. Our current activity includes studies on how microbes extract energy and nutrients from rocks and what genes life requires to persist in the planetary crust. We are also undertaking studies of life under high radiation environments and in environments at below background levels of radiation. Other projects are investigating the habitability of fluids on Mars and whether that planet ever had conditions suitable for life. I am also Director of the UK Centre for Astrobiology.