Luc Jaeger, Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB), presents on his research project, "Zoe, Bios, Psyche and the Quest for True Life," to an interdisciplinary group of scholars, artists, and scientists comprised of fellows, guest faculty and students.
 

His present research interests focus on ribonucleic acid (RNA), one of the most important biopolymers on which life is based on Earth. By addressing scientific questions pertaining to RNA structural evolution and rational design, the emergence of complexity in biological systems and the origins of life, his research encompasses fields as diverse as RNA biochemistry and biophysics, astrobiology, nucleic acid nanotechnology, material sciences, synthetic biology and nanomedicine. Professor Jaeger is also interested in the dialogue between science and religion, an interest at work in his current research project at the NDIAS.
 

He is the author or co-author of more than seventy research articles published in renowned international scientific journals as well as several scientific book chapters. He is also the recipient of numerous grants and awards, including an ULP-NIBH (National Institute of Bioscience and Human Technology and Information Services) grant for work in Japan and a UCSB Junior Faculty Research Incentive Award. Professor Jaeger’s research has been supported by major grants from the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, and, more recently, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. From 2011 to 2013 he served as a member of the Advisory Board of the John Templeton Foundation.