PUBLICATIONS

"The history of evolution is that life escapes all barriers. Life breaks free. Life expands to new territories. Painfully, perhaps even dangerously. But life finds a way."

-Michael Crichton-

WHITE PAPERS

Harris, R. L. 2025. Microbial Methanogenesis on Mars: A Life Detection Target for a Mars Life Explorer (MLE)-Type Mission and Future Human Exploration. Submitted to the Mars Exploration Planning Analysis Group (MEPAG) Search For Life Science Analysis Group (SFL-SAG) Final Report (forthcoming).

Edwards, C. D., et al., 2020. Deep Trek: Mission Concepts for Exploring Subsurface Habitability & Life on Mars – A Window into Subsurface Life in the Solar System. Submitted to the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) Planetary Science and Astrobiology Decadal Survey, 2023 - 2033.

Garvin, Z. K., et al., 2020. Mars Trace Gas Fluxes: Critical Strategies and Implications for the Upcoming Decade. Submitted to the NASEM Planetary Science and Astrobiology Decadal Survey, 2023 - 2033.

Stamenković, V. et al., 2020. Deep Trek: Science of Subsurface Habitability & Life on Mars – A Window into Subsurface Life in the Solar System. Submitted to the NASEM Planetary Science and Astrobiology Decadal Survey, 2023 - 2033.

ACADEMIC PUBLICATIONS

Harris, R. L., 2020. Life on the Fringe: Exploring the Ecophysiological Tenacity of Methanogens and Anaerobic Methanotrophs in the Deep Oligotrophic Subsurface Biosphere. Doctoral dissertation. Princeton University.

PEER-REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS

Grinspoon, D., McCauley Rench, R., and Harris, R. L. 2026. Viking in the History and Future of Astrobiology Programs. Astrobiology. Post-Revision Review.

Xu, L. et al. 2025. A Simple and effective method to remove hydrogen sulfide from fluid and gas samples prior to radiocarbon analysis of CO2 gas and dissolved inorganic carbon. Radiocarbon. Accepted.

Wordsworth, R. et al. 2025. Applied Astrobiology: An Integrated Approach to the Future of Life in Space. Astrobiology. https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2024.0156.

Twing, K. I., et al., 2025. Heterogeneity of Rock-Hosted Microbial Communities in a Serpentinizing Aquifer of the Coast Ophiolite Range. Frontiers in Microbiology. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2025.1504241.

Harris, R. L. and Schuerger, A.C. 2025. Hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis at 7-12 mbar by Methanosarcina barkeri under simulated Martian atmospheric conditions. Scientific Reports. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-86145-1.

Mars Sample Return Campaign Science Group [including Harris, R. L.), 2023. Report of the Science Community on the Proposed First Sample Depot for the Mars Sample Return Campaign. Meteoritics and Planetary Science. https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13981

Liu, J., Harris, R. L., et al., 2023. Reversibility controls on extreme methane clumped isotope signatures from anaerobic oxidation of methane. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2023.02.022

Harris, R. L., et al., 2021. FISH-TAMB, a fixation-free mRNA fluorescent labeling technique, to target transcriptionally active members in microbial communities. Microbial Ecology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00248-021-01809-5

Harris, R. L., et al., 2021. Transcriptional response to prolonged perchlorate exposure in the methanogen Methanosarcina barkeri and implications for Martian habitability. Scientific Reports. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-91882-0

Warr, O. et al., 2021. The role of low-temperature O in the isotopic evolution of deep subsurface fluids. Chemical Geology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemgeo.2020.120027

Carrier, B. L., et al., 2020. Mars Extant Life: What's Next? Conference Report. Astrobiology 20(6). https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2020.2237.

Harris, R. L., et al., 2018. Draft Genome Sequence of “Candidatus Bathyarchaeota” Archaeon BE326-BA-RLH, an Uncultured Denitrifier and Putative Anaerobic Methanotroph from South Africa’s Deep Continental Biosphere. Microbiology Resource Announcements 7(20) e01295-18. https://doi.org/10.1128/MRA.01295-18.

Lau, M. C. Y., Harris, R. L., et al., 2018. Taxonomic and functional compositions impacted by the quality of metatranscriptomic assemblies. Frontiers in Microbiology 9:1235. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2018.01235.

Huang, J., et al., 2018. A complex fluviolacustrine environment on early Mars and its astrobiological potentials. Astrobiology 18(8). https://doi.org/10.1089/ast2017.1757.

Lau, M. C. Y., et al., 2016. An oligotrophic deep-subsurface community dependent on syntrophy is dominated sulfur-driven autotrophic denitrifiers. PNAS E7927–E7936. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1612244113

PREPRINTS & WORKING PAPERS

Marincic, I., Bischof., G., Elisa, D., Schuerger, A. C., Harris, R. L., and Moores., J. E. in prep. Numerical Modelling of Potential Subsurface Methanogen Bioburden on Mars.

Harris, R. L., Alian, O., Klonicki, E., Treude, T., and Girguis, P. R. in prep. Anaerobic Oxidation of Methane in a Deep-Sea Metalliferous Hydrothermal Sulfide Chimney from the Ringvent System, Northern Guaymas Basin.

Devils Hole in Death Valley, CA, home to one of the world's rarest fish and nearly 40 candidate microbial phyla.