Eloi Camprubí Casas
Training
Ph.D. in Chemistry – Advisors: Profs. Nick Lane and John Ward, Dept. of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, 2018
M.Res. in Molecular Biophysics – Advisor: Prof. Nick Lane, Dept. of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, 2014
B.S. in Biochemistry – Faculty of Biosciences, Universitat Autonòma de Barcelona, 2012
B.S. in Biology – Faculty of Biosciences, Universitat Autonòma de Barcelona, 2011
Professional appointments
2022 – present: Assistant Professor of Astrobiochemistry (tenure track), Dept. of Biology & Dept. of Chemistry, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, TX, US
2021 – 2022: Human Frontier Science Program Fellow, ELSI, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, Japan (remotely)
2018 – 2021: Fellow of the Origins Center, Dept. of Earth Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
2013: Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2014 Assistant Manager, University of Roehampton, London, UK
Publications
Please see Google Scholar for an updated list of my publications.
Honors and grants
Rising STARs grant, The University of Texas System, 2022
Fully-funded attendance to ‘Bringing Chemistry, Physics and Computing to Life’ Ideas Lab workshop, Templeton Foundation – UMBC, 2022
Cross-Disciplinary Fellowship, Human Frontier Science Program, 2021
Fellowship to build an Origins Simulator, Origins Center (NWA-NWO), 2017
IMPACT Award, University College London, 2014
Fellowship for PhD study in Europe, ‘la Caixa’ Foundation, 2014
Extraordinary prize to the highest-achieving student in Biochemistry B.S., Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 2012
Languages
English: Full proficiency
Spanish: Native
Catalan: Native
German: Beginner
Japanese: Beginner
Synergistic activities
2022 – present: Editor for a Special Issue of Life journal (2075-1729; MDPI) titled ‘The Origin and Early Evolution of Life: Prebiotic Chemistry Perspective’
2021 – present: Member of the Working Group on abiogenesis, European Astrobiology Institute
2021 – present: Member of the Network of Researchers on the Chemical Evolution of Life (NoRCEL)
2021 – present: Member of SAGANet
2021 – present: Topic Editor for Symmetry journal (2073-8994; MDPI)
2021 – present: Network for Ocean Worlds (NOW) Affiliate
2020: Planetary science PEPSci-2 consortium PhD selection panel
2020 – present: Member of the international Origin of Life Early-career Network (OoLEN)
2018 – present: Management committee for COST Action ‘Chemobrionics’
2018 – present: Member of the Origins Center
I am an active reviewer for scientific journals covering a wide range of topics. I often peer-review papers submitted to Nature, PNAS, Frontiers in Microbiology, Astrobiology, Life, Minerals, DNA and Cell Biology, and Evolution.
Teaching and supervising experience
I have supervised the work of 1 PhD, 6 master, and 5 bachelor students.
2020, 2019: Lecturing ‘Planetology, an introduction’ (Utrecht University, NL) to 3rd year Geosciences students
2017, 2016: Lecturing ‘Energy and evolution’ (UCL, UK) to 2nd year Biological Sciences students
Industrial innovation
2020: Co-development of pressure-resistant glass microfluidics chips with Micronit Micro Technologies B.V. (NL)
2020: Co-development of a high-pressure hydrogen solubilisation unit with Da Vinci Laboratory Solutions (NL)
Research expeditions
2018: Research expedition with Dr Helen King (Utrecht University) to Rio Tinto (Spain) to study phosphate O isotopes as a tracer of life in extreme environments (funding by EuroPlanet, 2017)
Conference organisation and chairing
2021: Workshop ‘Out-of-Equilibrium Systems, Emergence and Life’, Lorentz Center-Online (Leiden, NL)
2018: Symposium ‘Origins Symposium – Tracing life’s emergence and preservation’, Utrecht University (Utrecht, NL)
2018: Chaired ‘Prebiotic chemistry’, 1st Interdisciplinary Origin of Life meeting (Düsseldorf, Germany)
2018: Chaired ‘The building blocks of life’, European Astrobiology Network Association meeting (Berlin, Germany)
2015: Astrobiology Society of Britain (ASB06) conference, University College London-Birkbeck (London, UK)
2014: UCL’s Origin of life open symposium, University College London (London, UK)
Conference contributions
Oral (IT = Invited Talk):
2022: IT – The role of vectorial chemistry at life’s emergence; MPIA’s conference ‘Towards Molecular Complexity: At the crossroads between astrophysics and biochemistry’, Heidelberg (Germany)
2021: IT – Metal sulphides as primitive energy-coupling systems on the early Earth and beyond; HPSTAR Beijing (China) seminar, Online
2021: IT – Metal sulphides as primitive energy-coupling systems on the early Earth and beyond; 2nd Origins Center (Netherlands) conference, Online
2020: IT – An experimental high-pressure Origins Simulator to study the emergence of life on Earth; 2ndInterdisciplinary Origin of Life (IOoL) meeting, Online
2019: IT – An experimental high-pressure Origins Simulator to study the emergence of life on Earth; Netherlands Institute for Space Research (SRON) seminar, Groningen (Netherlands)
2019: IT – An experimental high-pressure Origins Simulator to study the emergence of life on Earth; Earth-Life Science Institute (ELSI) seminar, Tokyo (Japan)
2019: IT – An experimental Origins Simulator to study the emergence of life on Earth – When, where, how and why; Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire (CBM) seminar, Orléans (France)
2019: IT – An experimental Origins Simulator to study the emergence of life on Earth – When, where, how and why; FEST (Utrecht University’s Earth Sciences department seminar), Utrecht (Netherlands)
2019: An origins simulator – Could natural pH gradients have powered the origin of life?; Nederlands Aardwetenschappelijk congress (NAC), Utrecht (Netherlands)
2019: IT – An origins simulator – Did vectorial electrochemistry power the emergence of life?; 30/80 meeting celebrating 30 years of the alkaline vent hypothesis and Mike Russell’s 80th birthday, Granada (Spain)
2018: IT – The emergence of life on Earth, Mars and beyond; KNGMG Kringendag/Symposium at the Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam (Netherlands)
2018: IT – An origins simulator – Could pH gradients have powered the origin of life?; ExoOceans workshop by the International Space Science Institute (ISSI), Bern (Switzerland)
2018: IT – An origins simulator – Could natural pH gradients have powered the origin of life?; European Astrobiology Network Association (EANA) conference, Berlin (Germany)
2017: Alkaline hydrothermal vents as electrochemical reactors driving an autotrophic origin of life; The International Society for the Study of the Origin of Life (ISSOL) meeting, San Diego (USA)
2017: IT – Acetyl phosphate and the origin of life at alkaline hydrothermal vents; Genetics, Evolution and Environment (GEE) department symposium UCL, London (United Kingdom)
2016: Alkaline hydrothermal vents as electrochemical reactors driving an autotrophic origin of life; European Astrobiology Network Association (EANA) conference, Athens (Greece)
Poster:
2018: An origins simulator – Origins Center’s gamechanger 1; A roadmap for universal life workshop by the Lorentz Center, Leiden (Netherlands)
2018: Alkaline hydrothermal vents as electrochemical reactors driving an autotrophic origin of life; Earth-Life Science Institute (ELSI) 6th International Symposium, Tokyo (Japan)
2018: An origin of life simulator in order to mimic the emergence of proto-metabolism in the far-from-equilibrium conditions of Hadean Earth; Origins Center fellows kick-off meeting, Utrecht (Netherlands)
2017: Controversies on the origin of life; ASB07 meeting, Milton Keynes (United Kingdom)
2016: Controversies on the origin of life; AbGradE (Astrobiology Graduates in Europe) conference, Athens (Greece)
2015: Proto-metabolic flux leading to polymerisation at life’s origin; ASB06 meeting, London (United Kingdom)