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Planetary Environments Laboratory

M Joseph Pasterski

(POSTDOC RESEARCH ASSOCIATE)

M Joseph Pasterski's Contact Card & Information.
Email: joseph.pasterski@nasa.gov
Org Code: 699
Address:
NASA/GSFC
 Mail Code 699
 Greenbelt, MD 20771
Employer: UMBC Univ. of MD, Baltimore County

Brief Bio

I am currently working as a NASA Postdoctoral Program (NPP) fellow at the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, MD. I will use laser desorption - mass spectrometry (LDMS), similar to the LDMS system that is scheduled to fly onboard the Dragonfly mission to Titan, in order to build machine learning models to characterize organic compounds and organic compound classes.


I earned a PhD from the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois Chicago in 2022. My PhD research focused on Organic Geochemistry and Mass Spectrometry Imaging of geologic samples, with a specific interest in using multiple analytical measurement techniques and statistical analysis to map the location of organic molecular biosignatures (aka biomarkers) in geologic samples.

Research Interests

Mass Spectrometry Imaging and Laser Desorption Mass Spectrometry

Organic Geochemistry

Microscopy

Machine Learning and Data Analysis

Positions/Employment

NASA Postdoctoral Program (NPP) Fellow

Oak Ridge Associated Universities - Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland

July 2023 - Present

Working as a NASA Postdoctoral Program (NPP) Fellow at Goddard Space Flight Center in the Planetary Environments Laboratory. Developing machine learning algorithms to characterize organic matter via laser desorption mass spectrometry (LDMS) for the NASA Dragonfly mission.

Teaching Experience

2014 – 2022: Teaching Assistant at the University of Illinois at Chicago including:

  • Earth and Environmental Science (100 level)
  • Earth Systems (200 level)
  • The undergraduate field course (200 level).
  • Sedimentary Processes (300 level)
  • Hydrology and Hydrogeology (400 level)
  • Data Science and Statistics in R (400 level) 


Education

2017 – 2022 PhD, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois Chicago

2014 – 2016 MS, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois Chicago

2010 – 2013 BS, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois Chicago

Professional Service

2019 – 2023: Co-lead of the Early Career Council (ECC) within the Network for Life Detection (NfoLD), a Research Coordination Network (RCN) developed by NASA to advance the current state-of-knowledge regarding the detection of life.


2022: Was the primary convener for an early career themed session at the 2022 Astrobiology Science Conference titled “Initiatives within and Resources for the Early Career Astrobiology Community.”


2016 – 2020: Developed and delivered a series of Earth Science and Astrobiology focused 1-hour courses for elementary students at schools across the Chicago area.

 

2016 – 2018: Developed, co-produced, and co-hosted a series of live science 

Awards

2023: Awarded a NASA Postdoctoral Program Fellowship.

 

2022: Awarded the National Association of Geoscience Teachers Outstanding TA Award.

 

2016: Awarded the Teaching Assistant of the Year award by the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois Chicago.

Special Experience

2024: Attended the Share the Science training program hosted by the Alan Alda Center for Science Communication.


2023: Selected to attend the Astrobiology Mission Ideation Factory at Goddard Space Flight Center.


2022: Selected to participate in the Josep Comas i Solà International Astrobiology Summer School hosted by NASA and ESA in Santander, Spain (July, 2022)


2020: Was the primary author for an access proposal aimed at analyzing geologic samples using ToF-SIMS at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.


Publications

Refereed

2024. "Machine Learning Correlation of Electron Micrographs and ToF-SIMS for the Analysis of Organic Biomarkers in Mudstone.", Journal of the American Society for Mass Spectrometry, 36 (1): 58-71 [10.1021/jasms.4c00300] [Journal Article/Letter]

2023. "Picosecond versus femtosecond-laser ablation of silicon in atmosphere.", Journal of Laser Applications, 35 (4): [10.2351/7.0001206] [Journal Article/Letter]

2023. "The Determination of the Spatial Distribution of Indigenous Lipid Biomarkers in an Immature Jurassic Sediment Using Time-of-Flight–Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry.", Astrobiology, 23 (9): 936-950 [10.1089/ast.2022.0145] [Journal Article/Letter]

2021. "Femtosecond Laser Desorption Postionization MS vs ToF-SIMS Imaging for Uncovering Biomarkers Buried in Geological Samples.", Analytical Chemistry, 93 (48): 15949-15957 [10.1021/acs.analchem.1c03275] [Journal Article/Letter]

2020. "Aquatic landscape change, extirpations, and introductions in the Chicago Region.", Urban Ecosystems, 23 (6): 1277-1288 [10.1007/s11252-020-01001-6] [Journal Article/Letter]

Non-Refereed

2025. "Science Autonomy using Machine Learning for Astrobiology.", white paper, [Full Text] [10.48550/arXiv.2504.00709] [Other]

2021. "Appeal for Improved Sample Selection, Preparation and Interpretation Standards for Organic Biosignature Experiments Performed by Flight Instruments.", Planetary Science and Astrobiology Decadal Survey 2023-2032, 520 [Journal Article/Letter]

Talks, Presentations and Posters

Invited

Machine Learning on Terrestrial Organic Matter and Implications for Mars and Titan

February 16, 2024

Invited talk given at the University of Colorado Boulder Geobiology Seminar.

Biomarkers and Mass Spectrometry Imaging of Geologic Samples for Earth and Mars

February 2, 2024

Invited lecture given at the University of Florida Astrobiology Seminar led by Amy Williams.

Mass Spectrometry Imaging of Geologic Samples and DraMS LDMS

August 20, 2023

Lecture for the Astrobiology Department at Open University, UK.

Mass Spectrometry Imaging of Organic Biomarkers in Geological Samples. 

July 30, 2022

In Microscopy and Microanalysis, 28, S1, 992-994.

Other

Exploring Samples Relevant to Titan via Dragonfly Mass Spectrometer (DraMS)-Like Laser Desorption Mass Spectrometry and Pyrolysis/Derivatization Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry 

June 1, 2025

Oral Presentation at ASMS 2025 in Baltimore, MD.

Laser Desorption Mass Spectrometry (LDMS) of Multiple Titan CHN Compound Analogs (Tholins) With and Without Prebiotic Compounds. 

March 10, 2025

Oral Presentation at LPSC, 2025 in the Woodlands, TX.

Laser Desorption Mass Spectrometry (LDMS) of Benzene, Acetonitrile, and Benzene-Acetonitrile Ices

March 10, 2025

Poster Presentation at LPSC, 2025 in the Woodlands, TX.

Machine Learning Correlation of Spectroscopy and Spectrometry Data: SEM-EDS and ToF-SIMS Analysis of a Jurassic Mudstone Containing Organic Molecular Biosignatures. 

December 10, 2024

Poster Presentation at AGU 2024 in Washington, DC.

Exploring Titan chemistry via DraMS-like comparative mass spectrometry of tholins and prebiotic compounds

December 10, 2024

Oral Presentation at AGU 2024 in Washington, DC.

Laser Desorption Mass Spectrometry (LDMS) of CHNOPS compounds in Preparation for the Dragonfly Mission to Titan

March 12, 2024

Results presentenced at the 55th LPSC (2024), 1218.

Using Machine Learning to Aid in the Interpretation of MS Imaging Datasets: Multimodal Analysis of a Geologic Sample Containing Organic Molecular Biosignatures.

December 12, 2022

In American Geophysical Union, p. P25A-73.

Multimodal Analysis of Indigenous Organic Molecular Biosignatures in a Geologic Sample: ToF-SIMS, GC-MS, SEM-EDS and Machine Learning.

September 23, 2022

In Midwest Geobiology 2022, p. 32.

The Network for Life Detection (NfoLD) Early Career Council (ECC).

May 10, 2022

In Astrobiology Science Conference, p. 116–01.

Indigenous Organic Molecular Biosignatures are Detectable via ToF-SIMS of a Kerogen-rich Jurassic Clay.

May 10, 2022

In Astrobiology Science Conference, p. 125–01.

The Detection of Indigenous Sterane Biomarkers in an Immature Jurassic Sediment using ToF-SIMS Mass Spectrometry Imaging.

December 13, 2021

In American Geophysical Union, p. P15D-2134.

Multimodal Mass Spectrometry Imaging (MSI) of Archean and Jurassic Geologic Samples.

December 12, 2020

In American Geophysical Union, p. P030-06.

Mass Spectral Imaging of a Carbon and Sulfur-rich Mudstone: Femtosecond – Laser Desorption Laser Postionization Mass Spectrometry of the Oxford Clay. 

June 24, 2019

In Astrobiology Science Conference, v. 89, p. 4781–4785

Micron Scale Mapping and Depth Profiling of Organic Compounds in Geologic Material: Femtosecond - Laser Desorption Laser Postionization - Mass Spectrometry (fs-LDPI-MS).

December 11, 2017

In American Geophysical Union, p. P43G08.

Selected Public Outreach

Participated in the International Observe the Moon Night at GSFC as a volunteer scientist.

September 2024 - September 2024

Contact Us

For general inquiries about the Planetary Environments Laboratory .

Charles Malespin

Chief

301-614-6042 charles.a.malespin@nasa.gov
General inquiries about the scientific programs at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center may be directed to the Office of Public Affairs at 1.301.286.8955.