Biological research at DRI spans many spatial and temporal scales and environments from around the world. DRI scientists study how biota and ecosystems interact with the environment and how they respond to environmental change in diverse environments from the local Great Basin to Antarctica to mine shafts several miles deep. Scientists conduct research in extreme environments such as the Mojave Desert, the Dry Valleys of Antarctica and the Atacama Desert in Chile. Our scientists are also active in renewable energy research focusing on biomass crop production and assessing optimal environmental conditions for the production of algal biofuels. DEES scientists are working with federal agencies to conduct inventories of threatened and endangered plant and animal species to facilitate land use decisions for military training, and development of renewable energy. Our faculty have access to advanced analytical laboratories and controlled environment facilities, some of which are unique in the world.

DEES research projects related to "Biological Sciences" are listed below.

• U.S. SO GLOBEC Synthesis and Modeling: Timing is Everything: The dynamic coupling among Phytoplankton, Ice, Ice Algae and Krill (Fritsen)
• Geochemistry and Microbiology of the Extreme Aquatic Environment in Lake Vida, East Antarctica (Murray, Marion)
• Characterization of Aquatic Chemistry, Physical Parameteres, and Indigenous Microorganisms from Wells at Nevares Spring Mound Area, Death Valley, CA (Moser)
• Ash Meadows NWR Spring Study (Moser)
• Characterization of Indigenous Microorganisms from Nye County Wells and Assessment of their Utility as Hydrologic Tracers (Moser)
• Radiochemically-Supported Microbial Communities: A Potential Mechanism for Biocolloid Production of Importance to Actinide Transport (Moser)
• Life in the Deep Biosphere (Canada, US, South Africa) (Moser)
• Environmental Transportation of Plutonium: Geochemical Processes at the Femtomolar Concentration and Nanometer Scale (Moser)
• IPY: Bacterioplankton Genomic Adaptations to Antarctic Winters (Murray)
• Coprolite Source Identification (Moser, Rhode)
• Digital Mapping Inventory of Biological Soil Crusts in the Muddy Mountain National Wilderness Area, Nevada (Sun)
• Pine Expansion of Arid Lands: Fire Effects on Safe Site Abundance (Cablk)
• Using Canines to Survey Desert Tortoise: Human and dog comparison (Cablk)
• Algal-Based Renewable Energy for Nevada (Fritsen, Sun)
• Effects of Biochar on Soils and Plants (Jasoni)
• Potential for Biomass Crops in Nevada (Arnone, Jasoni)
• Algal Biofuels (Moser, Sun)
• Wind energy impact assessment (Cablk, Rhode, Zitzer)
• Astrobiological Investigation of the Namibian Desert and other Martian Analog Environments (Sun)
• Astrobiology of Icy Worlds: Habitability, Survivability, and Detectability (Murray)
• Alternative Chirality Amino Acid Utilization Research in Support of Mars Astrobiology Mission Development (Sun)
• Biological Accumulation of D-amino acids in Endolithic Microbial Communities (Sun, Moser)
• Modeling Complex Geochemical Processes in the Outer Planets Region (Marion)
• FREZCHEM: An Aqueous Geochemical Model for Mars (Marion)